When
by Kizmet
Summary: When Alphonse Elric dies everything changes. Ch.29: Standing over a grave.
1. There's Nothing Left

**When There's Nothing Left**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Notes:** I'm only up to episode #20 in the anime, I've heard spoilers about the rest of the story, but since I haven't seen it for myself yet I'm ignoring all developments past that point.

* * *

Edward Elric woke slowly. His head throbbed. He wasn't in a bed or even curled up in a train seat. His hand hurt worse than his head. The lack of weight, the way his body was sprawled on the ground told him that his automail limbs had been removed. All the signals pointed toward an unpleasant awakening, even by Edward's standards. Those clues didn't even scratch the surface of it.

His attempt to think back and remember how he'd gotten in this mess produced a hazy memory: Al's startled shout of warning breaking into his habitual litany of complaints about manipulative, secretive bastard Colonels, then a blinding pain shooting through his brain. Nothing about who or why.

Since his memory was a dead end Ed set to taking stalk of his condition. They'd taken his automail; a frustratingly effective means of rendering him helpless. He focused on the pain in his other hand and tried to wiggle his fingers. The resultant flare of agony nearly caused him to black out and Ed realized that the fucking bastards hadn't been content with taking his automail; they'd broken his flesh hand as well.

'He'd show them,' Ed resolved furiously. 'He'd draw an array with his toes, hop to where ever they'd hidden his limbs and then he'd show them exactly who they were messing with!' Filled with furious determination Ed opened his eyes and found himself staring at his younger brother's hulking armored form.

"Hey Al," Ed started to say then his eyes focused on the hole in Al's armor. The hole that coincided exactly with the spot where he'd drawn a rune using his own blood to bind his brother's soul to the armor.

Ed's mouth went dry, his vision tunneled in. All thought of escape vanished from his mind as he screamed for his brother.

* * *

Short, I know but that's just how the shiftswhois being following worked out for this story and I decided to use chapter breaks instead of screen breaks to designate the shifts. 


	2. Plans Go Astray

**When Plans Go Astray**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

When his intelligence agents called to report that Fullmetal and his brother had fallen off the map Colonel Roy Mustang was annoyed. Three days later when Ed still hadn't reappeared in a characteristic explosion of chaos Mustang was on a train speeding toward the Elric brothers' last know location. Six endless days after that Mustang was standing in front of a door to a lonely root cellar. His expression was completely impassive.

"This is our lead?" Havoc asked, his tone disbelieving "There is no way this place could hold our brat."

Mustang's face twitched, a flinch that didn't quite get away from him. He snapped his fingers and the door disappeared in flames. Roy stepped through the resultant cloud of ash and stopped dead.

Lieutenant Hawkeye pushed past him and ran to check on the two boys. Ed was curled up in Al's lap. Stripped down to a black tank top and his boxers, with both of his automail limbs missing and his long, blond hair hanging loosely around his face, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, looked very small and very young. Especially in contrast to Alphonse's armored bulk.

Hawkeye pressed her fingers lightly to the side of Ed's throat. "I've got a pulse. Slow but stable," she reported. She tilted Ed's head back to check his pupils then pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. "Shock, possible dehydration."

Gently Riza Hawkeye began the task of extracting Ed from his brother's lap. "Colonel, you can either help or move out of the way," Riza ordered.

Slowly Roy walked across the room, his face was completely blank. He knelt beside Al and examined the damage. A snap of his fingers produced a small steady flame in the palm of his hand. With it's light illuminating the earthen walled cell Roy leaned closer and peered inside the armored shell that housed Alphonse Elric's soul. 'That had housed…' Roy corrected himself as he saw the remaining edge of a rune along the side of the damaged section in Al's armor. As an Alchemist Roy knew immediately what that meant: with the rune's disruption the ties binding Alphonse's soul to the armor had broken. It had likely happened days ago, too long for Edward to repeat the fete that had bound Al within the armor when his body had initially been lost. Alphonse's soul was gone; the armor was nothing but a shell.

Roy turned to watch Hawkeye and Hughes as they examined Edward for further injuries. Riza's face was pinched as she placed a board under Ed's broken hand and wrapped it in bandages. Roy's gaze moved on to the men hovering uncertainly in the doorway. "Major Armstrong," he said in a quiet, level voice. "Please see that Alphonse…" Roy stumbled over the word. "That Alphonse's body is transported to Headquarters."

A look of horrified disbelief swept through the company.

Roy glanced back toward the comatosed blonde lying on the floor. "Fullmetal will undoubtedly want a proper burial for his brother," he said softly, confirming that Alphonse Elric was dead.

Roy stood off to one side at parade rest, his eyes focused on an empty spot just short of the door as he listened to Hawkeye and Armstrong direct the preparations to transport the brothers back to the base.

After a time Hughes' hand closed tightly on Roy's shoulder. "We're ready to go," he reported gently.

Roy blinked once then nodded. "Find out who was behind this," he ordered in a frozen voice.


	3. The Gap can't be Bridged

**When the Gap can't be Bridged**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Elysia Hughes, four years old and the apple of her daddy's eye, clung tightly to her mother's hand as they made their way through the base hospital. The muted bustle and the cold sterility of the place frightened her even more than she already was. She crowded close to her mother's leg.

In truth Elysia had been frightened ever since the previous afternoon when her daddy came home early and just held her for a long, long time without smiling even once. Then he put her down and took her mommy into another room to talk. When they came back her mommy's eyes had been all red. Then, this morning, her mommy told Elysia that they were going to visit Niisan Edward because he didn't feel very good. Now they were in this yucky smelling building were everyone looked so serious and Elysia was scared. She didn't like the thought of her big brother being here.

When they reached Edward's room Elysia gasped. She knew about Ed's automail but seeing it missing, like the limbs of her doll after the nasty boy who lived next door pulled it apart, was a shock. Elysia's expression quickly darkened with outrage. "Who hurt Niisan?" she asked. Thinking of the boy who'd hurt her doll she added. "I'm gonna kick them!"

"Elysia," Gracia reprimanded quietly.

"Well somebody should," Elysia muttered then she called, "Hi Niisan!"

When Edward didn't respond to her greeting Elysia turned to her mother and whispered, "Is Niisan sleeping?"

Gracia sighed. "No sweatheart. Edward's insides hurt and he, he's having a hard time thinking about anything but the hurt. Still, maybe if you talk to him it might distract him a little."

Elysia nodded. She climbed up onto the bed beside Edward. "Oh, you are awake!" Elysia exclaimed as she noted that Ed's eyes were open and gave him her best hug. "Niisan, your hair's all messy. It's okay, Mommy's been teaching me to braid."

When Elysia went to crawl over Edward her mother picked her up and carried her around to the other side of the bed before she could get tangled in the IV line running to Ed's arm Gracia pointed to his bandaged hand. "Be careful not touch his ouchies," she warned.

Elysia nodded seriously. Delicately she gathered up Ed's loose hair. With a look of intense concentration on her face she began twisting the strands together. When she was done she sat back and examined her work critically. "There, like it should be. My mommy fixes my hair for me. It's hard to do your own hair. Does Niisan Al braid yours? Where is he?"

Edward shuddered and made a soft, pained sound.

Elysia drew back worriedly. "Did I hurt him?" she asked her mother fearfully.

"No sweety," Gracia assured her. She settled on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders as she gently stroked Ed's bangs. She sighed. "Al… had to go away and Edward misses him very much. That's why he hurts inside, but we need to remind him that he isn't alone and there are still people who care about him."

Gracia carefully brushed the tears off of Edward's cheeks. "I know it can never be the same, but we _are_ here for you."

After several minutes of silence Elysia decided that she was going to tell Edward a story because that made her feel better when she skinned her knee.

Gracia noticed a figure hovering near the door. Once she was sure that Elysia was absorbed in her storytelling Gracia tiptoed out into the hall. "Hello Roy," she said softly.

"Did it work?" Roy demanded in a hushed voice.

"He's aware," Gracia reported. "Edward reacted when Elysia asked about Al but he didn't respond to her."

"It wasn't much of a plan anyway," Roy said. "But there was a chance he'd respond to a child where he'd ignore an adult."

"He's always had a very strong 'big brother' instinct," Gracia said sadly.

"And trying to use that to draw him out was a futile effort, considering," Roy said darkly.

"At least we know he hears us now," Gracia said as she put her hand on his forearm.


	4. Guilt is Deserved

**When Guilt is Deserved**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Eboni:** Hi, thanks for reviewing. I hope this doesn't disappoint. This is my first foray into the FMA fandom, so it's not too long, more of a getting the feet wet (and an outlet for angstful tendancies so they don't overwhelm stories which were intended to have a more cheerful tone) thing. Hughes is a favorite of my as well and I'm still in denial about certain spoilers for episode #25.

* * *

Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye glanced from the forms in her hand to Colonel Mustang's empty office and frowned indecisively. For once she found it impossible to be irritated with the man for avoiding his paperwork, but these forms really did need his signature today.

She glanced over at her desk to verify that there was nothing urgently demanding her attention then decided that she should deliver the forms to Colonel Mustang personally. After all she hadn't had a chance to visit Edward yet today.

As she walked across the base Riza considered the situation. Losing Alphonse would have been a hard blow for the company to absorb all by itself. The younger Elric brother was a warm, caring, brilliant boy people couldn't help but love. He was both their comrade and a child they wanted to protect. Edward was barely older than his brother but he protested violently at being called, considered or treated like a child. And it wasn't just Edward's slight build that made people think he was the younger of the two; Ed's obsessive drive cost him the perspective associated with maturity. Ed was brilliant, intense and passionate; he attracted people just as surely as his younger brother even if they tended to fight it more. If they lost them both…

And then there was Colonel Mustang; he wasn't dealing well with the guilt. It was hard knowing what to say to him. Roy had known exactly what he was doing when he arranged things to make a desperate eleven-year-old boy into his tool. The fact that it had taken four years for him to send the Elric brothers into harm's way once too often didn't make what he'd done any better and Roy wouldn't appreciate any attempts to mitigate his responsibility for what had happened.

Alchemy couldn't repair broken souls and Edward's current condition didn't leave him particularly open to manipulation; Roy's efforts to fix the younger Alchemist were akin to shooting a gun in the dark.

Hawkeye opened the door to Ed's hospital room and stopped, her mouth dropped open. Roy was sitting on the bed holding Edward as if comforting a small child. Edward's head was tucked under the Colonel's chin and Roy's arms were wrapped firmly around the younger Alchemist's waist. Both of their expressions were blank; Edward's eyes were dead, Colonel Mustang's mask of impassivity was firmly in place as he stared over the top of Edward's head.

Hawkeye's eyebrow lifted in surprise.

"I thought it might comfort him," Roy said defensively. "Or, failing that, remind him of how tiny he is."

At that Ed's body twitched. Hawkeye remembered Alphonse describing Edward's typical overreactions to being called small as being ingrained into his subconscious.

"So you reallyare listening," Roy murmured to the boy in his arms. "Good. Maybe someday you'll feel like talking back again."

Hawkeye backed out of the room. In the hallway she glanced at the files she was carrying and sighed. She could always allow Havoc to forge the Colonel's signature. That was, after all, the way the company had handled paperwork before she joined them.


	5. It's Time

**When it's Time**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Normally Havok and Farman were two of the less superstitious members of the company. This time it wasn't helping. Sneaking into the head quarter's basement with a coffin to retrieve a body in the dead of night was the sort of thing to get anyone jumping at shadows.

The Colonel said it was time. Edward was physically healthy, there was some chance that this might help him mentally and so they were going to take Alphonse home to bury him.

The reason for the late night retrieval was because officially the coroner's office had lost Al's body. Hawkeye had meticulously drawn up the paperwork that showed they had delivered a body to the coroner and if it wasn't there now it was clearly because the coroner's office was filled with incompetents. To add verisimilitude Colonel Mustang had paid the coroners several visits to harangue them for their carelessness and their lack of progress in recovering the body. His visit provided the added benefit of keeping everyone in the office so off balance that they hadn't even begun to arrange an organized search for the missing body.

In truth they'd smuggled the emptyarmor that was the closest thing to a body Al had into the base while Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes staged a very loud, very public blow-out about the six days it had taken Intelligence to pin-point the Elric brothers. Unfortunately the subject was a sensitive one and both men had said more than a few things that they shouldn't have, even thought their fight was just a diversionary tactic. It had taken them three days to apologize and start talking to one another again.

After that they'd waited for Edward to be ready. And waited. Now they were going to force the issue. Al deserved better than to be forgotten in a storage room and Ed needed something to jolt him back to reality.

Havok spared one last nervous look into the shadows then grasped Al under the armpits. Farman took the boy's knees. They traded a nod then; together, they lifted in preparation to transfer Al's body to the coffin. The armored form fell apart in their hands. The pieces clattered loudly to the floor.

The two men leapt into opposite corners and all but climbed the walls.

After several minutes Havok collected himself and began gingerly transferring Al's parts to the coffin and reassembling him. Farman quickly followed suit.


	6. They Don't Come Home

**When They don't Come Home**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Winry kept her mind focused on the details, on the nuts and bolts. Steel was cold, hard and unchanging. Rebuilding Ed's automail limbs was a familiar, comfortable challenge.

She carefully polished the components of each joint so that they would function smoothly. She tested the wires to make sure they wouldn't short or snag when the limb moved. She snugged down the bolts so they wouldn't come loose later.

She didn't think about Ed being carried into the house by the distant blue-uniformed officer who'd tempted him into becoming a dog of the military in the first place. She didn't think about a truly empty suit of armor that was arriving with the rest of Mustang's unit on the train the day after tomorrow. She didn't think about attending yet another funeral for someone who'd meant the world to her.

When Winry completed the last adjustment she'd never been more unhappy to finish a project. Now that the automail was finished she had every reason to go back into the spare bedroom where Ed lay looking more like a broken doll than a living person.

Winry thoroughly cleaned her tools and put everything in her workroom back in its proper place. She considered delaying further but decided against it. Ed's Colonel might come looking for her if she kept putting it off.

Whenever she was near the man an undefined feeling of impending doom seemed to fill the air between them. A choked sob forced it's way out of Winry's throat. There was nothing undefined about the doom Roy Mustang carried with him, he'd taken Ed and Al away from home and now Al wasgone foreverand Ed wanted to be dead.

Winry collected Ed's arm and leg and started determinedly down the hall. The sound of Roy's voice stopped her with her hand on the doorknob.

"Fullmetal, listen to me. You are going to eat," the Colonel said coldly. "I didn't bring an IV with me but you will not be permitted to starve. You will either swallow that or I will shove a tube down your throat and simply pour the food into you. Do you understand me?"

When no explosion of temper followed Winry slumped back against the opposite wall. She slid down to the floor, buried her face against her knees and sobbed.


	7. The Path is Clouded

**When the Path is Clouded**

**Eboni:** Thanks for the feedback.In this case the reason for the quick updates is directly related to the short chapters, I tend to write little things to keep me writing when I'm stuck on some other story. Most never make it out of my notebook, a few end up full blown writing projects ("Day by Day" started out as a writer'sblock exercise),occasionally I end up with a one-shot that's worth putting online.All told "When"would makesomewhat longish one shot, butsince thevarious sceneshave fairly abrupt breaks I decided it would read better if Iformated them as chapters.

Roy's decision to act as Ed's caretaker is motivated primarily by guilt; because he feels it's his faultEd and Alwere in danger (He's the onewho arranged for Ed to become aState Alchemist attheage of twelve) he's trying to undosome of the resultant damage.

**triggerhappy, MARIA:** Thanks for the feedback.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Maes Hughes felt a small measure of relief when he saw the small blond standing beside Roy Mustang when their train pulled into Resembool. He had been worried that Roy was pushing too hard but getting Edward out of the hospital appeared to have done the boy some good.

Maes smiled proudly when he saw his little girl run to offer Edward a hug. "Isn't she just the most perceptive, compassionate thing ever?" he gushed to Maria Ross on his left who was much less likely to pull a gun on him than Riza Hawkeye who sat across from him.

He wished he could have sat with his family. He and Gracia had only just explained to Elysia that Al would never come back from where he'd gone and that it might be a very, very long time before Edward would feel like playing with her again. Hughes wanted to stay close and make sure she was all right but, as one of Alphonse's pallbearers, his place was here.

While Gracia Hughes went to join her daughter, with Edward, the Rockbells and Roy. Breda, Farman and Fuery lined up outside the herse compartment. Farman slid open the door then stepped aside sharply to allow Hawkeye, Havoc, Ross, Brosh, Hughes and Armstrong to carry the coffin off the train.

Out of the corner of his eye Maes noted Roy's hand locked around Edward's upper arm. Roy was keeping Edward on his feet and guiding his steps. Maes sighed and reminded himself Ed was still doing better, even if he wasn't as much better as Maes had first thought.

At the cemetery the small group huddled around the coffin. Hughes knew that if they'd given people the chance the cemetery would have overflowed with people Edward and Al had helped but along with them would come those who were merely curious about the Fullmetal Alchemist. Besides it wouldn't be good if it became widely known how vulnerable Edward had become in the wake of his brother's death. They did not need Fullmetal's enemies smelling blood.

Roy started to step away from the group to deliver the obituary then changed his mind and gave it directly to Edward in a low voice that drew the rest of them in closer. Then they were all giving Ed their memories of Al so that he'd have them to hang on to as well as his own memories.

After a long silence had descended Roy fished a piece of chalk out of his coat and moved toward the coffin. To everyone's surprise Ed reached out and stopped him. Their eyes met for a moment then Roy nodded and stepped back.

Edward clapped his hands then knelt and pressed them against the coffin. Alchemic flames wrapped around it and it sunk into the earth. A headstone rose out of the ground beside Trisha Elric's. After it was done Ed remained kneeling on the ground beside the grave.

Winry wrapped her arms around Ed's shoulders and after a few minutes Edward collapse against her sobbing.

That night, after Edward had fallen asleep Hughes drew Mustang off to one side. "Did you receive my report?" he asked quietly.

Colonel Mustang's mouth thinned as he nodded. "I'd almost forgotten how much work it takes to deal with these sorts of the things when I can't just point Fullmetal in their general direction and let nature take it's course," he said.

"So what are you going to do?" Hughes asked. "None of my people understand Alchemy well enough to discover anything more."

"I can't send one of my research types," Roy said. "If it's as ugly as your people suspect they'll be willing to resort to violence to keep it in the shadows. Armstrong works best when given clear objectives and the freedom to pursue them openly. I'm going to have to go myself."

"You could send Armstrong in as a bodyguard for a researcher, or Havok and a squad," Hughes suggested. "You're not Edward Elric."

"No, I'm an adult who can clean up his own mess for once," Roy said bitterly.

"I just meant that your superior can't get you off the hook by claiming that you're 'young, idealistic and too damn gifted to alienate,' even if he were inclined to protect you," Maes explained apologetically.

Roy gave him a tight smile. "You're right, no one's called me idealistic in a long time."

"Only because you've gotten so good at hiding it behind cynicism," Maes replied.

"It's still my mess."

"No it's not Roy," Maes argued. "You'd never even heard the man's name before reading my report."

"It's happening in my jurisdiction, that makes it my mess," Colonel Mustang said firmly. "I'm leaving first thing in the morning. In my absence you're in charge of seeing to Edward. If you learn anything about the people responsible for this," Roy's gesture took in the whole of the funeral, "send me a messenger pigeon. Everything else can be relayed through Lieutenant Hawkeye."


	8. Tempers Flare

**When Tempers Flare**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Notes: **Inserted chapter to ease the overly abrupt transition between the former chapter 7 and 8.

* * *

"Look you! I don't care _who_ that Dog of the Military made responsible for Ed. He's not leaving with the likes of you and that is final!" Pinako Rockbell declared forcefully as she glared up at Lt. Colonel Hughes.

"I understand your feeling ma'am but to leave Edward here indefinitely Roy would need to officially state that the Fullmetal Alchemist is no longer fit for duty or Edward could be charged with desertion," Hughes explained patiently.

"So what's the hold up?" Pinako demanded. "Technically that boy has never been 'fit for duty', you have to be seventeen to sit for the State Alchemist Exam. If not for Mustang's manipulation Edward and Alphonse would never have been in that situation!"

"Roy is very aware of that fact," Hughes said. "And he will do everything in his power to undo the damage."

"How? Alchemists can't raise the dead," Pinako said bluntly.

"Ma'am, Edward has enemies, we don't want to advertise his infirmaries. By placing him with me we can maintain the fiction that he has recovered fully. Also due to my position I am likely to be the first one to become aware of any imminent threat to him," Hughes continued, undeterred. Then he smiled wryly. "Besides if I left him here Roy would simply take him back to Easterner Command as soon as he found out. He truly does feel responsible for Edward's well being and desperately needs to make amends. In that, he isn't so different from Edward."

"Hmpf, from where I'm sitting he's already fobbed his _responsibility_ off on you."

"Ma'am, with due respect, I am one of Colonel Mustang's people, you are not. Asking me to look after Edward while he attends to other duties is delegating, discharging Ed to leave him here would be like giving up on any possibility that he might recover," Hughes replied.

"That's Mustang's problem not mine," Pinako stated coldly. "It would be best for Ed to remain here. Just as it would have been better if your Colonel Mustang had never interjected himself into those boys' lives in the first place."

"Respectfully, we both know Edward. Even if he had never met Roy Mustang his search would have brought him to the National Library before long. Once there, he would have drawn the Military's attention, and there are much worse commanding officers than Roy Mustang. Roy gave Edward an unheard of amount of freedom to pursue his own objectives for a member of the Military, he covered for them when Ed went against Military policy and shielded Alphonse from discovery." Hughes sighed. "Yes, Roy's used Edward to further his own ends and yes that's how they got hurt, but Edward has always been more than capable of finding trouble on his own. Trust me, Roy's done his best to look out for the those boys and he will continue looking out for Edward."

"Trust the Military? Feh." Pinako spat. "I know how my son and his wife died. Shot down by you people for nothing more than doing their duty as doctors. You might have heard of little thing called the Hippocratic Oath? But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, the State Alchemists abandoned their principals easily enough."

The pair traded glares until they were interrupted by a cheerful voice from the stairway.

"Morning Aunty Pinako, Mister. Winry's already in the shop isn't she?"

Pinako and Hughes stared at Edward in disbelief. He took in their stares with a puzzled frown then he shrugged and headed toward Winry's shop. Pinako and Hughes trailed after him uncertain of what was going on.

Edward glanced around Winry's shop blatantly overlooking the blonde girl standing at her workbench. "Where's Winry," he asked.

"Ed what's wrong with you? I'm right here," Winry declared.

"Liar!" Edward shouted. His face twisted into a scowl. "What did you do with Winry? Where is she?"

"Stop it Ed! I am Winry," the girl cried.

Edward lunged at her only to be brought up short when Hughes grabbed him around the waist. Ed flailed wildly against the older man's grasp; his automail limbs bashed against Hughes with bruising force. Maes was deeply grateful that the boy was acting like a child in the throes of a tantrum rather than an experienced fighter.

"Edward! Stop this nonsense immediately!" Hughes ordered sternly and after a moment Edward calmed down. Tentatively Hughes released the boy. "Now tell me; why can't this be your friend Winry?"

"Because she's old!" Edward declared forcefully. "Winry's the same age as me."


	9. Now Hurts

**When Now Hurts**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Gracia sat on the porch and watched the children work on their project with an air of nervousness. Their faces were screwed up in intense looks of concentration that would have sent Maes running for his camera; there was nothing cuter than a small child who'd decided to be serious.

Elysia was completely focused on the line she was drawing. She even held her breath as she drew the chalk line then moved the ruler to a new spot. Edward absently adjusted the position of the ruler slightly then went back to his compass. As he did so he shot Gracia a dark look; he hadn't beenat allhappy when she made them give up the half completed circle they'd been drawing on the dinning room table and move their game outside.

'He was going to be even less happy in a few minutes whenI tell them Elysia won't be allowed to help power the array,' Gracia thought. But that was how it had to be. In some ways Edward was still the Fullmetal Alchemist, the youngest State Alchemist ever and one of the few people to attempt human transmutation and live to talk about it. In other ways he was just Edward Elric, six years old and only just beginning to dabble in Alchemy. Until they knew what the mix of his ingrained reflexes and current mindset would produce Gracia intended to be cautious.

In truth she would have liked to delay Ed's experimenting until Roy or Major Armstrong were present to oversee his efforts but she also knew better than to simply tell Edward that he had to wait. Gracia had learned very quickly that at six Edward's definition of 'wait' was wait until all adults who might be inclined to stop him were out of sight… In that respect Edward hadn't changed at all between six and sixteen. This was going to happen and it was better that it happen under Gracia's inexpert supervision than without any supervisor at all.

"Done!" Elysia shouted happily.

Edward glanced over the array critically then nodded. "Me too," he said then placed a bowl of grass in the center of the circle.

"Elysia, come over here," Gracia commanded. "Let Ed do this part by himself."

As predicted Edward's expression promptly turned sulky. "I always do this part with Al," he complained. Then abruptly switched tracks."When isFather going to let me go home? I want Al and Mom and Winry!"

Gracia bit her lip. "We've talked about this before Edward. Do you remember when Winry came to see you?"

"No!" Edward declared forcefully and changed the topic."Fine! I'll do it by myself!" With that he planted both hands firmly on the array and with a fierce scowl he willed it to life. An explosion of Alchemic fire filled the porch and it was transformed into a mountain of flowers.

Elysia squealed with delight.

Ed sat there, almost buried under the flowers. "I didn't mean to make so many," he said in a stunned voice.

"Next time just don't try so hard," Gracia advised. She wondered if there was any way to get her porch back.

The garden gate disappeared in a burst of flames and Roy ran in only to skid to a stop at the scene before him.

"Uncle Roy!" Elysia shouted and leapt into his arms. "Look at all the flowers Ed made me!"

"Got a bit carried away Fullmetal?" Roy asked sardonically.

Ed's shoulders hunched and he sunk underneath the flowers. "Am I in trouble?" he asked miserably.

"No dear," Gracia assured him as she shot a warning glare at the Colonel.

This time it was Roy who's gaze dropped in embarrassment as he realized he'd reverted to treating Edward like normal before finding out his actual condition.

Gracia noted that Roy's clothes were still dusty from the road and beneath the adrenalin he was exhausted. Her expression softened. "Sorry for the excitement Roy. Ed just put a bit much into a transmutation."

"I'll say," Roy commented.

Ed shrunk down even further. "It shouldn't have done that," he said in a small voice. "Al and I can't do that together, how could I do that by myself?"

Roy cocked an eyebrow at Gracia.

"Ask Maes later," she said softly.

Ed studied Roy intently. His expression was puzzled as if he couldn't quite place Roy. Then Ed's expression cleared, he offered Roy a bright if insincere smile. "Did you come to take me home, Daddy? I've been good! I like Mr. and Mrs. Hughes and Elysia, but I miss Al and Mommy. I want to go home."

Roy stared at Ed in open-mouthed shock.

* * *

"I wish I could have seen your face," Hughes said. Roy glared at him evilly. "After we got back from the funeral Edward decided he was six and that no one he cared about had died yet. He believes he's being punished for some unspecified reason; that's why he can't go home, but Alphonse and his mother are safe and happy in Resembool with the Rockbells. We decided to go along with it."

Roy frowned. "That's your interpretation of a good idea?"

Maes sighed. "Roy, Ed's mother died when he was eight. He spent the next three years learning to raise the dead. He only gave up that obsession when restoring Al's body became thedriving goalof his life. Everything Ed's done since then has related back to finding the Philosopher's Stone and restoring Alphonse. Then Al died and there was nothing left that Ed could do."

"Roy do you have any idea how painful automail surgery is? Can you imagine sacrificing your own arm? Developing a highly advanced Alchemic equation moments after losing a leg, while your blood was still pouring out of you?" Maes asked quietly. "I don't think it's even possible for us to understand how determined Edward was to protect Al. And then he failed. As long as he's not trying to kill himself we've got to count ourselves lucky."

Roy slumped back tiredly against the couch. "Yeah, lucky."

Hughes gave his friend an appraising look. "I heard there was a fire, destroyed all of the research that was being done in Sorelane and several of the key researchers committed suicide."

"You know how some people react to a little thing like watching their life's work go up in smoke," Roy said blandly.

"So we were right about it being ugly?" Hughes asked.

"Like every other attempt at making a Philosopher's Stone," Roy said bitterly. "They were killing street kids."

"And no one will trace it back to you?" Hughes asked.

"Of course not." After a moment Roy groaned. "I don't have the energy to do my job and Fullmetal's."

"Not to mention that there's only so much involvement that we can cover up. We're going to have to go back to being very careful about picking and choosing our battles."

Mustang stood up to leave.

Then Hughes said, "I found them Roy. I've got names and enough of a case to hang all of them."

"And you waited to tell me this? Why?"

'Because I didn't want you going after them on your own,' Hughes thought but he said,"My people want in on it. They were friends with Edward and Alphonse too."


	10. You Judge

**When You Judge**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

The bar was packed that night; a bunch of out of towners, tourists, had arrived with the last train of the day and were stranded for the night. Not that the bartender minded, he could use a little extra business.

The touristswere scattered around the bar in small cozy groups. They kept to themselves mostly; except the drunk. The man had dark hair, handsome features and was doing his level best to make friends with every female in the room. The locals ignored him, the tourists put up with him with a sort of resigned amusement. None of the locals noticed the small bits of alchemy that turned the tourists' drinks into fruit juice as the drunk dropped by their tables.

A few more regulars trickled in. The bartender frowned when a group of localsin the corner started getting loud. He knew they were going to bring trouble down on the whole town one day, if they hadn't already.

"State Alchemists, feh. They're nothing," the group's ringleader declared. He dug a silver pocket watch out of his coat pocket. "They ever stick their noses in our business again and we'll deal with them the same way we did this one."

The drunk accidently bumped into the man hard enough toknock him halfway onto the table.Rather than staggering onwardthe drunk continued leaning against the group's ringleader. The ringleader struggled to push the other man off him and realized that he didn't have the leverage to accomplishhis goal.He turned to shout angerily at the drunk, only the stranger wasn't smiling now and he didn't seem at allinebriatedwhen he pinned the ringleader's hand against the table. The pocket watch fell out of the ringleader's hand, he felt more than saw the stranger raise his free hand.

The rest of the group started backing away. They all looked scared as they stared at the array embossed on the back of the stranger's white glove. One man broke and ran. A bespectacled man who had been sitting near the door showing his tablemates pictures of his daughter caught the runner and put a knife to the man's throat. "You don't want to leave now," the bespectacled man insisted. "We've been waiting all night for you and your friends to arrive."

The other members of the group were having problems of their own in the form of a cold-eyed blond woman with a gun. "I believe the Colonel was about to give you an object lesson," she said. The people backing her up smirked evilly.

The group looked toward the back door. A giant of a man stood there scowling at them.

The bystanders pressed themselves against the wall but were too afraid to even try to leave.

The Colonel held the ringleader pinned at the center of the cleared space. His icy, level voice carried to every part of the room. "You killed a fifteen-year-old boy who only wanted to help people. You left his sixteen-year-old brother to die in a hole in the ground with only his brother's body for company. And you brag about that."

The ringleader flinched at the sound of fingers snapping near his ear. His outstretched arm caught fire. He bucked upwards in an attempt to escape but the Colonel had all the leverage. After a few seconds the ringleader's angry, frightened screams turned to pure agony. The horrific smell of burnt flesh filled the bar, slowly the man quieted as he slipped into shock.

The Colonel released him to curl up on the floor in fetal position. The ringleader cradled his cauterized stump of an arm to his chest, the other members of the group stared at the blackened bones protruding grotesquely from his flesh.

Roy picked Edward's watch out of the ashes and bones left on the table then he turned to address the room. "Trust me, I know why you hate State Alchemist and the Military. But you named Fullmetal the people's hero. You knew he tended to ignore or circumvent orders and regulations to live up to our motto: Alchemist, be thou for the people. But these idiots never looked beyond the watch he carried."

The guilty group cowered on the floor under Hawkeye's watchful gaze. The rest of the townspeople didn't look much better.

"Edward was here to help you," Roy continued, there was an undercurrent of disgust in his voice. "You'll note that the corrupt officials are gone. It took longer without Fullmetal's flare, but it happened. There won't be any reprisals against those of you who stood by and did nothing."

He glared at the guilty parties. "You on the other hand, are under arrest for murder, the attempted murder of a State Alchemist and conspiring against the State. Each of those charges all carry a death penalty."


	11. It's Time to Change

**When it's Time to Change**

**Thanks for the feedback: **Eboni, CreamyMimi, Mint Pizza Queen

**Eboni: **Sorry about the confusion, I inserted a new chapter after the funeral to try to make it a bit more clear as to what happened. Let me know if it helps.

**Mint Pizza Queen:** Thanks for the note, what happened was that automatically adds the newest chapter to the end and sends of the alerts. Meanwhile, I was moving the chapter I'd just up-loaded to ch. 8 (so ch. 9 and 10 were from an earlier update, while ch. 8 was new).

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Colonel Mustang glared at his desk. It was covered with all the petty pointless thing he was expected to do; aka paperwork. Outside of the office, outside of Central there was real work that he should be doing, but this was Central not Eastern Command and his staff couldn't cover it up if he went missing for a week or two here.

Roy chuckled bitterly at the irony of the situation. When they'd sent him to the Eastern Command he'd called it a demotion, now he was sulking because they'd brought him back to Central. Of course he knew why they'd done it. His actions had raised suspicions so he'd been moved to a place where he could be kept under tighter surveillance. And that meant, among other things, that Hawkeye felt he had the time to do his own paperwork again. Irritably Roy threw his pen down on his desk and stalked out of his office.

"Sir, is there something you need in order to finish the expenditure reports?" Hawkeye asked crisply. Her hand strayed toward her holster. Roy interpreted her question as: "Unless those reports are done you had better have a damn good reason for being away from your desk… sir."

"I'm going to see Ed," he replied shortly.

Riza's face softened and her hand slipped away from her pistol. "Tell him hello from all of us," she said. "And please remind Mrs. Hughes that she's welcome to bring Edward and Elysia by the office any time."

Roy nodded. Fifteen minutes later he smiled as Elysia greeted him by pouncing on him the minutes he walked through the Hughes' door. A second later a larger impact knocked Roy clean off his feet. Roy sighed and ruffled Edward's bangs. "You really are too big to do that," he said.

Edward grinned brilliantly. Then his expression turned somber. "Have Mom's doctor's said anything?" he asked.

"She's doing better," Roy lied with the ease of long practice. "But she still isn't ready to come back. Alphonse is taking good care of her and they both miss you."

Ed nodded acceptingly. 'Equivalent Exchange,' Roy thought. They'd traded Edward's belief that he was being kept away from his family as a punishment for a story about his mother being ill.

In the revised history they'd devised for Edward his father had gotten one of the letters he wrote after his mother became ill and had come home. He'd sent Edward's mother far, far away to receive treatments and Al had gone with her to keep her company while Edward had gone to Central with his father since the hospital wasn't willing to house two rambunctious boys. Roy was still working on resigning himself to the roll of Daddy…it helped that Edward looked closer to twelve than his actual seventeen years.

Roy set Elysia aside and pushed Edward off him. "I thought you might like to work on your Alchemy some more," he offered.

Edward immediately jumped up to get his supplies. Roy caught his wrist. "Not here, I think you're ready for some of the more advanced theories."

Ed considered it. Theory wasn't as fun as practical but the word 'advanced' appealed to him. "Okay Dad."

Roy covered a reflexively wince. "I need to tell Gracia I'm taking you," he said. "Get your coat and shoes. I'll be right back."

Ed nodded and dashed away with Elysia two steps behind him.

Gracia gave Roy a suspicious look when he explained. "Roy Mustang, what are you up to?" she asked.

Roy shrugged. "So far I've been teaching him to do party tricks without accidentally pulling extra material from his surroundings into his transmutations by accident; how to do kid stuff as if he were actually a kid or a fourth rate Alchemist. I thought I'd try teaching him some real Alchemy today; see if I can jar any memories loose."

"All right," Gracia said. "Just be careful with him. I'd rather he stay a child forever then have him revert to the lifeless puppet he was before the funeral."

Roy promised, collected Edward and brought the boy to his personal library. Roy paused at the door and waited then he realized that Edward wasn't quite at the stage were his intense desire to know would overwhelm any hint of manners he'd ever possessed upon being invited into another Alchemist's library. Alchemy was still a game to the boy, not his life's blood and his obsession. He was actually going to wait for Roy to direct his studies rather than attempting to consume every scrap of knowledge within the library without pause.

Roy considered for a moment then picked out a text. He frowned at the book's cracked spine and remembered throwing it at a wall after failing his first attempt to gain a State Alchemist's license. It was one of the last general Alchemy texts he'd mastered. After throwing the book he'd sat down and figured out why he hadn't made the cut. He analyzed what the State wanted. Roy snorted softly. He was a good alchemist but he was a great tactician; after that first failure he remembered to go with his strengths. A year later he took the exam again and that time the examiners fell over themselves to offer him his certification, after all he'd showed them that he could be a weapon; a fast, devastating, flexible, _thinking_ weapon. Then they sent him to Ishbal and he learned what being a weapon really meant.

He handed Edward the text then decided to make Hawkeye's day by working on one of the reports he owed her. Ed cheerfully settled into a corner of the couch. Roy took the desk and an hour passed in comfortable silence.

Roy took notice when Edward's eyes glazed over and he stopped turning the pages in his book. Roy stopped working on his reports to watch the boy more closely. Some time later Ed seemed to wake up from his trace. He glanced around the room and muttered. "He must be playing with Nina again. How's Al think he's going to pass the exam if he doesn't study? Oh well, probably better this way."

Edward turned his attention back to the book in his hands, read about half a paragraph then exploded. "What the hell is this! Are you saying I'm some sort of little kid!"

Roy hid a smile from the fuming blonde and mentally patted himself on the back for such a good idea. "You've already studied that one?" he asked blandly.

"When I was nine!" Ed complained.

Roy glanced over his shelves and selected the most advanced of the volumes he'd obtained during his own foray into human transmutation. "I believe this is the book you were looking for?"

Edward took it. "Yeah, I guess. I would have thought Mr. Tucker would have had it…" He paused with a puzzled look on his face.

Roy took that as his cue. "Perhaps it was damaged?" he suggested.

Edward thought about that for a few moments then his expression cleared. "Oh yeah, Nina used it as a coloring book."

Roy thought it was a bit scary how good Edward was getting at lying to himself.

And gradually a new equilibrium emerged. Once Edward burned his way through the library with all the voracity of a wild fire Roy started taking him to the National Library to get more. When Alphonse's absence could no longer be explained away by "playing with Nina," Ed remembered that Shou Tucker had not been a good person and concocted a story about Al escorting Nina and Alexander back to Resembool where they would be looked after by Winry and her Grandmother. Ed further reasoned that Al might have stayed for a bit to help them settle in. And really it was all for the best. Ed was the older brother; it was his responsibility to fix their bodies. He'd never really wanted Al to come to Central with him anyway. It was better this way, with Al home, safe and definitely not dead.


	12. You Meant Well

**When You Meant Well**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Thanks for the Feedback:** Eboni, Lawrence Hazeltoe, Mint Pizza Queen, winryrockbell2, Nirasthene, Spoon no Miko,

Prozacfairy

* * *

"Colonel, Edward-sir," Lieutenant Maria Ross greeted the pair as she saluted smartly.

Edward giggled. Maria smiled warmly and hugged the boy. 'So today it was going to be the child,' she thought with a sigh. Colonel Mustang's prompting had returned some of Edward's past, but the lies the twelve-year-old version of Edward was told or told himself weren't as sustainable as the ones the six-year-old had believed. Mustang had cracked the barrier in Edward's mind that protected him from the truth and it wasn't just his twelve-year-old memories that slipped through. When the lies fell apart, when the memories that slipped past his defenses were too much, Edward retreated back into early childhood. The Colonel was doing his best to stabilize Edward's twelve-year-old persona, that of the young boy who'd trustingly come to Central to become a State Alchemist. To Maria's eyes the Colonel didn't seem so interested in seeing Edward regain the rest of his past.

Maria took in Edward's disheveled appearance. "Running late again, Colonel" She asked disapprovingly.

"It's morning, how am I supposed to tell how old he is until I've made coffee?" Roy said defensively.

Maria rolled her eyes. She straightened Ed's clothes briskly then spun him around and removed the messy ponytail holding back a tangled of long golden hair and started combing the mass out so that she could put it in Ed's customary plait.

Edward yelped as her small comb caught in a particularly dense tangle. "Sorry Edward," Maria said.

Roy set a file on the bench beside them. "If he's feeling up to it," he told Maria in a low voice.

She nodded. Even with only his twelve-year-old self's memories Ed was one of the top Alchemists in the country. They'd learned that the guardians he and Al had fought during the incident at Lab Five hadn't been a case of someone else coming up with the same idea, it had been Shou Tucker recreating what Ed had done to bond Al's soul. It had taken Tucker a year's research and one of the imperfect Philosopher's Stones to amplify his power before he managed to replicate what Edward had accomplished.

Roy turned to Ed. "Maes will be picking you up for lunch."

"Can I play with Elysia?" Edward asked.

"You can count on it," Roy replied. "If the library's boring today, tell Lieutenant Ross and she'll find something else for you to do." Because sometimes reading an Alchemy text would wake up Edward's memories and sometimes it wouldn't. At eleven or twelve Edward had to be dragged out of libraries and reminded to eat; at six Edward's attention span was limited, he needed to get outside and burn off excess energy after an hour or two of studying or he tended to find ways to amuse himself that sent the library staff into apoplectic fits.

"Sure, I'll tell her," Ed said then impulsively hugged Roy.

Just six months earlier such a show of affection would have left Roy frozen in horror, but now he returned the gesture naturally. "I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Unless Lieutenant Riza shoots you for goofing off," Edward replied as he tried to keep a straight face. "So you be good, okay?"

"The two of you are conspiring against me aren't you?" Roy asked with mock seriousness. Ed gave him a patently innocent look. "You're supposed to be on my side remember?"

"Lt. Riza has a doggy," Ed explained unrepentantly.

"You're a brat, you know that don't you?"

"Yep, see you."

Lieutenant Ross escorted Edward into the library and got him settled. A half-hour later she noticed the signs of an incipient awakening. She quietly removed the forgotten book from Ed's hands and waited.

After a few moments the glazed look left Edward's eyes. He looked around the library to place himself then came the part Maria hated. "Where's Al?" he asked.

Al was always Ed's first thought upon 'waking up' and Maria hated that her orders were to lie to him, to try to convince him that he was still studying for the State Alchemist's exam, that Al was safe in Resembool waiting for Ed to come home with a cure for him. Her orders ensured that there was no chance that Ed would ever be able to properly grieve and move on. If the Colonel had his way Edward would stay forever twelve, old enough to be used, but young enough to be easily pliable; sheltered enough to do what he was told without much question.

"Don't you remember?" Maria prompted. She was supposed to add something about Resembool. Maria hesitated. The lies didn't help Edward. "Do you remember going to Corpus?"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, Maria's interpretation of Mustang's motives ispretty harsh. Roy will get his chance to respond in the next chapter.

When I started this story it was pretty much a short, unrepentant angst-fest because that's what I was in the mood to write and that sort of mooddidn't fit well with the other two on-going stories I'm working on. But I've been getting more attached to it, discarded the original ending and am thinking about expanding the storyline, only problem is there are two paths I could go down and I'm a bit undecided. I don't normally ask for a reader's poll but I need something to break the deadlock.

Anyways, since I started this story I've caught up with the episodes being shown on Cartoon Network (I'm at episode 32 now) and it occurred me that I've left Edward very, very susceptible to manipulation and it would be all but impossible for the Sins not to know about that, what with Sloth and all. So I'm moving toward a situation where they try to take advantage of the situation and Roy ends up doing something – well – drastic to get Ed back.

I've got two options on what that would be. In one Roy ends up taking Edward and disserting. The appeal of this scenario is that it keeps the story focused on the personal relationships and it opens up possibilities for a Roy/Riza storyline. The thing I don't like about it is Roy would have to basically give up his plan to become Fuhrer for Ed's sake. The other option involves Roy abandoning his plan for a coup in favor of a rebellion. This scenario would bring a lot more politics into the story, which can be fun. The down side is convincing myself that Eastern Command is sufficiently in Roy's camp that the vast majority of the Military personnel stationed there would be willing to secede on his command.

Regardless, updates are likely to be a bit slower now, since I don't have the whole thing written out anymore (so I guess that means there's a third option: Stick with my original unhappily ever after where the Sins don't play any roll in the story).


	13. Facing Facts

**When Facing Facts**

**Thanks for the Feedback: **websurffer, winryrockbell2, Jane, Lawrence Hazeltoe, Sihhe Lord, Gozilla, Hailey, KuramasGirl123

**Jane: **Well, chances of a happy ending are increasing at the moment.

**Lawrence Hazeltoe:** The main reason I'm reluctant to have Roy completely give up hisplan to become Fuhreris because of episode 25. It's not just about being ambitious, fixing things soanother Ishbal couldn't happen againis his atonement. Your comments really helped, the two scenarios do call for different timeframes, that helped alot.

**Hailey:** Remember ch. 10, it's been taken care of. g>

**KuramasGirl123: **Not MPS.In most thefanfic stories I read featuring MPS the different personas represent different aspects of the person and that is not what Ed is doing. His personality isn't splintered, he's repressing the memories he can't deal with. The six-year-old persona is a retreat to a completely safe world, before the Rockbells died since I'm assuming that's the first time Ed had to deal with someone he knew dying but he assumes he's been separated from his loved ones because he's being punished. Roy sort of dealtwiththat byreintroducingEd to his mother's illness, introducing the idea that bad things justhappen and it's not Ed's fault, but Roy didn'twant to break Ed's safe-haven so hecame up with a scenario where Al andTrish could eventually come back some day. The twelve-year-old persona is someone who's dealt with quite a bit of harshness, but not with personal failure (A lot of this story comes from thinking abouta comment of Pinako's in Ch. 9 of the Manga: "And because he's so strong, I worry that when he finally does find an obstacle he can't overcome, will he be able to get back on his feet?"). Nina's deathhits too close to Al because he couldn't save either one of them so he creates an imaginary scenario where he realized what Tucker had done soon enough to save Nina. He's still not even coming close to dealing with the real problem, instead he fanastizes about having saved another person who looked at him as a big brother and who died.

**Eboni:** In addition to the difficulty of getting Ed to remember Roy's got other issues to deal with: guilt is a large part of his motivation. At current Ed actsbasically happy and he's willing to let Roy keep him safe, which resolves Roy's guilt. If Ed recovered more completely he'd loose his faith in Roy (In the Anime it seemed like Ed came to Central trusting that Roy would hand him the answers he was looking for and it wasn't until Nina's death that his relationship with Roy really turned adversarial on Ed's side.) and start insisting on running off to look for the Philosopher's Stone again, putting himself back in danger, which is **not** something Roy is comfortable with anymore.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Lieutenant Hawkeye escorted Lieutenant Ross into Colonel Mustang's office then, without waiting for an invitation she moved to the side of the room, halfway between Mustang's desk and Lieutenant Ross, and stood at parade rest. Lt. Colonel Hughes was sprawled casually across Roy's couch while the Colonel sat behind his desk with his elbows resting on its surface his hands clasped just below his chin as he stared impassively at Lieutenant Ross. Most people would have missed the worn look around Roy's eyes, but it worried Riza Hawkeye. 

"Colonel Mustang, Sir," Ross saluted and remained stiffly at attention. "I apologize for disobeying your orders Sir, but I could not, in good conscious, continue lying to Edward. He trusts us to gate practically every interaction he has with the world, lying to him is an abuse of that trust."

"Maria, no one is questioning that you had Ed's best interest at heart," Hughes assured her. "But if you felt that way, why didn't you talk to us about it?"

"Lt. Colonel, I – I didn't wish to be removed from Edward's detail," Ross admitted.

"In other words; you don't trust that I have Edward's best interests at heart," Colonel Mustang interjected coldly. "Given that Edward's well-being is not a Military concern I am willing to overlook that you disregarded the orders of a superior officer and disseminated information you were ordered to keep confidential but I will ask upon what expertise did you decided that reminding Edward of his brother's death would be good for him?"

"Sir, you can't change the past by writing revisionist histories," Maria said. "You're encouraging Edward to forget years of his life with Alphonse and replacing those years with stories where the adults in his life didn't fail him so badly; where you kept him sheltered instead of forcing him to grow up so quickly. You can't undo what you already did to him by lying to him."

Roy stood up and walked around his desk to confront Maria. She continued staring directly forward. "Did it ever occur to you that there might be a reason for your orders? That Pinako Rockbell, who has much more of a right and a reason to distrust me, withdrew her objections to leaving Edward in my custody?" he demanded darkly as he stalked around her. "You can't force Edward to remember Lieutenant; his mind won't let him face it. Thanks to you he wakes up screaming his brother's name every night. He screams himself hoarse and he can't remember why."

Maria's military posture broke, for the first time she met Roy's eyes. "I'm sorry sir; I only meant – I'm sorry," she said with tears in her eyes.

Hughes got up and patted her on the shoulder. "We know. You wanted Edward to get better, but the fact of the matter is he might never get completely better. We're trying to make him happy, let him feel safe." Hughes escorted her out of the office.

"She has a point," Riza said as the door closed behind the other pair.

"She's lucky I didn't fry her for that stunt," Roy stated.

"I don't believe we are doing Edward any favors by trying to protect him from the memory of every bad thing that has happened in his life," Riza continued. "Nina Tucker, for example. Edward did deal with her death when he was twelve."

"He shouldn't have had to," Roy replied.

"No, but he did it. If we continue to protect him from the things he could handle before how will he ever reach a stage where he can hope to face Alphonse's loss."

"He shouldn't have had to deal with Tucker," Roy insisted stubbornly. When Riza started to argue he raised a hand to silence her. "Shou Tucker was an idiot to think that no one would know what he'd done. Basque Gran wasn't interested in a human-speaking chimera; he was interested in grafting animal attributes onto his soldiers to make them better killing machines. Only human transmutation is a taboo, you can't just order someone to do it. But Tucker had done it once, Gran trusted that he'd do it again eventually." Roy stared straight into Riza's eyes. "Gran knew because it was obvious to any sufficiently talented Alchemist willing to think the unthinkable, after all a chimera is nothing more than an amalgamation of the animals that make it up; to create one with human attributes one must include a human in the mix. I had Hughes look into Mrs. Tucker's disappearance almost a year before Ed arrived in Centeral, but if either of Hughes or myself tried to raise questions about Gran's pet project we could have kissed our careers goodbye right there. So I placed Edward and Alphonse in that house and trusted that Edward would also realize what Tucker had done and that he was brash enough to force the issue into the open where the Military couldn't turn a blind eye to it. After all it wouldn't compromise Edward's goals if his lack of discretion kept him from ever being prompted past Major. I wasn't doing him any real harm. It didn't occur to me that Edward would be too focused on his exam and still too damn naive to realize the truth about what Tucker had done."

"Sir, did you know Tucker was a danger to his daughter?" Riza asked.

"No! God no," Roy exclaimed. "Even Gran wouldn't want another psychotic on his staff. Hughes checked him out before I sent Edward there, we concluded that he wouldn't be a danger to Edward or Alphonse _based_ on his interactions with his daughter. I had no idea he would turn on her next, but regardless of my obviously mistaken beliefs about the sort of monster Shou Tucker was I still placed two children in the home of a man whom I knew to be a murder. I used and manipulated them from the day I first met them until the day I got Alphonse killed and destroyed Ed."

Riza frowned then began her rebuttal carefully. "Colonel, I have been considering this matter for some time, the only reason we are having this discussion is due to Edward and Alphonse's ages. We all freely chose to join the Military, furthermore we all willingly follow you, knowing that you are attempting a coup; it is understood and accepted that there is a high degree of risk associated with the choices we made. The question is if Al and Ed were old enough to appreciate those risks and make _their _decisions accordingly. If you go but the letter of the State's laws they were not, but in my experience age restrictions are based on rules of thumb. Beyond a certain age most people are assumed to have reached a certain maturity level, in truth some people mature much faster while others only get older and never mature at all."

"I was eighteen when I became a State Alchemist and I had no clue what I was getting into myself into. I had no business putting a twelve-year-old into that situation," Roy stated.

Riza sighed in frustration. "Roy, the situation was not the same. You never ordered them to kill anyone."

"So I'm somewhat less of a bastard than Basque Gran, wonderful." Roy said sardonically. "Do you remember the night Nina Tucker died? You told me Edward was thinking like a child. Regardless of his talents and abilities I knew he wasn't old enough and all I did was tell him to grow up."

"Alphonse didn't die when he was eleven!" Riza exclaimed. "You know you didn't have them followed just because Edward tends to leave things out of his reports. If they had disappeared in that first year you would have had every available person looking for them within the hour. Don't try to tell me otherwise because _I know better_! But after four years they'd proven that they were capable of taking care of themselves under most circumstances, so we didn't panic immediately. Honestly Roy, do you think Al wouldn't have been killed if he had been seventeen instead of fifteen? Do you think Edward would have been able to deal with his brother's death if it had happened when he was eighteen?"

"Are you saying I shouldn't be taking responsibility for Edward?" Roy asked dangerously.

The look Riza gave him said she was insulted Roy had even thought that. "I am suggesting that it would be healthier for both of you if you would allow yourself to take care of him simply because you care about him rather than because you are trying to atone for your guilty conscious."


	14. It Falls Apart

**When it Falls Apart**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Thanks for the feedback: **Prozacfairy, Phoenix Hoshika, Shakia, Gozilla, Lawrence Hazeltoe, silent:tears:fall

* * *

"There's something wrong with Ed," that was all Denny Brosh had the chance to say before Roy was running out the door, leaving the phone dangling off the hook.

"Damn," Denny muttered when he realized that he was talking to an abandoned phone. "Sheska! You better get out front; the Colonel's on his way and he didn't bother listening to the details."

A short while later Denny heard a commotion in the main room of the library. "Ed, I'll be right back with the Colonel," Denny promised the blond boy who was curled up in the window seat with his arms wrapped around his legs.

Denny stepped out of the room, shut the door behind him then shut his eyes and counted down to from three.

"What the hell happened?" Mustang demanded angrily.

"Um, sir, I um, I think it might have been my fault."

Roy turned on the pair of blond boys with silver eyes who had been hovering nervously outside of the room where Denny had taken Ed. The younger of the pair stepped forward. "I saw Ed heading into the library so told him I was sorry about Alphonse."

"It wasn't Fletcher's fault," the older boy corrected as he pulled his younger brother back protectively. "He was just being polite and Ed freaked out."

"Who the hell are they and why were they anywhere near Edward?" Roy asked Denny.

"I figured they were kids from his hometown," Denny defended himself.

"Like Ms. Rockbell who's last visit took Edward a week to recover from?" Roy asked dangerously.

"I'm Russell Tringham…" the older boy began.

"The frauds from Zenotime," Roy realized and dismissed them as irrelevant. "Where's Edward?"

Denny stepped aside and gestured to the door.

Roy's temper drained away as soon as he saw Edward. Curled up, rocking himself like an abandoned child the boy looked tiny and fragile. The old Fullmetal would have done his best to maim Roy for thinking any such thoughts about him and the truth was in spite of all the times Roy had harassed Ed about his lack of height he'd never really noticed how small the boy was, not while Al was still alive. Things like the fact Ed had barely grown four inches since he'd arrived in Central seven years ago and that Ed only weighed more than a hundred pounds if the weight of his automail was counted in the total just hadn't seemed to register back then, not really. Now Roy couldn't seem to stop noticing.

He crouched beside Ed and put a hand on the blond's shoulder. Ed turned and threw himself at Roy; he clung to the older man desperately as sobs shook his slender frame. Roy's arms closed tightly around Ed; ever since it had hit Roy that Ed could be fragile he'd become fiercely protective of the boy. Roy hadn't worn his gloves while discussing Ross' indiscretions with her because he blamed her for Ed's nightmares and he didn't want the temptation. The whole time he'd been in Corpus he hadn't been able to stop thinking about burning the whole miserable town to the ground because no one there had lifted a finger to help them find Ed and Al or to identify the people responsible for what had happened to the brothers. But that was the sort of reaction that led to the Ishbal Massacre. They retaliated for a child killed by mistake and the Military retaliated for its fallen soldiers until the Fuehrer ordered the cycle to be broken by genocide. So Roy did it the right way and separated the ones guilty of murder from the ones guilty of apathy and left the town standing. Then he went home and tried to make Ed's world safe - for all the good it did when a child's common curtseys could apparently shatter Edward's protective cocoon.

Roy rocked Edward gently and waited for the hysterical sobs to die down.

"I don't know what's real," Edward whispered finally. "My head's all jumbled. I don't even know who you are." Even so Ed was clinging to Roy as if he were a lifeline.

"But you know you're safe here with me," Roy said. Edward nodded. "Then it doesn't matter who I am, you'll remember when you remember. You're safe. I'll make it better I promise."

"Tell me my brother is alive."

"Alphonse is in Risenbool," Roy said.

"You're lying. Where is my brother? Where's Al? Where is he? Where is my brother? Al? Al! **AL!**"

Roy held the hysterical boy firmly. 'It was just another nightmare,' he told himself. 'A waking nightmare but it would pass like all the others.'

Edward's shouts dissolved into incoherent screaming. He fought until he was exhausted and Roy's chest and legs were black and blue from encounters with Ed's automail. He screamed until his voice gave out.

When it was over Roy picked up the boy's limp body and carried Ed over to the couch. Roy arranged them so that Ed was curled up comfortably in his arms and started rocking him again. "It's alright. You're safe," he murmured. "You don't have to remember the bad stuff. Just forget, it's okay to forget. I've got you. I promise I won't let any of it happen again."

* * *

**Note:** When Ed says he doesn't know who Roy is he meant it in the sense that he can't straighten out his conflicting memories. He doesn't know if Roy's his father, the commanding officer he calls an arrogant bastard or the one he's been staying with since Al and Nina left for Rizenbool.


	15. You Lose

**When You Lose**

**Thanks for the Feedback: **Prozacfairy, Yimi Makuya, Wing Omega, nn..., winryrockbell2, Lurkinshdws, CatharineofKally, star, silent:tears:fall, AngstReflection, Lawrence Hazeltoe, Shakia, S'Star

**Lawrence Hazeltoe:** Hope your computer gets better soon.

**star: **Tell me specifically what you found confusing and I might be able to add things to the story to clear it up.

**nn... :** The relationship between Ed and Roy is strictly parent/child in this story.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Roy glanced up at the sound of his office door opening then leapt to his feet and saluted as he recognized Fuhrer Bradley. 

"At ease, at ease," the Fuhrer laughed. Roy shifted to parade rest. Fuhrer Bradley walked across the office to examine Roy's face more closely. Roy fought down the urge to shy away and stared blankly ahead. "That's quite the shiner," the Fuhrer remarked.

"It looks worse than it is Fuhrer," Roy replied stiffly.

The Fuhrer put his hand on Roy's shoulder sympathetically. Roy's muscles went rigid. "He's getting to be too much for you to manage isn't he?"

"Sir, I have no idea what you're asking," Roy stated.

"Fullmetal. I admire the lengths you've gone to for the boy, but don't you think it's time you turned him over to a professional?"

"Respectfully sir, I don't know what you are implying. Fullmetal does not work well with other officers so I pulled him out of the field upon his brother's death. I was not comfortable sending him into hostile situations without having someone he would rely on to watch his back. His analytical skills remain invaluable to the Military," Roy insisted.

"And he didn't give you that black eye during one of his episodes," the Fuhrer said with a smile. "I can see why your staff is so loyal to you but I don't appreciate being lied to."

"No sir. The incident happened while we were both off duty, I do not see it as a Military matter," Roy protested.

The Fuhrer shook his head sadly. "Despite your best efforts Fullmetal's condition is degrading. You no longer feel that it is safe to allow him to play with little Elysia Hughes. His resurfacing memories result in frequent, violent fits. Your staff is covering for you to hide the number of times you've spent the day dealing with Fullmetal rather than attending to your duties. You're too concerned about harming him to effectively restrain Fullmetal during his fits and even untransmuted his automail limbs make for fairly effective weapons – I imagine that felt like getting hit upside the head with a lead pipe," the Fuhrer commented with a gesture to Roy's badly bruised face. "You're in over your head and I'm intervening before you really get hurt."

A panicked look entered Roy's eyes. "Sir, I –"

The Fuhrer held up his hand to silence Roy's protest. "Fullmetal is a member of the Military and I out rank you. Telling you in person was just a curtsey. My personal secretary has already seen to removing him from your custody."

"But Sir-"

"That will be all. Good day Mustang."


	16. Things Slip

**When Things Slip**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

"Well?" Roy demanded quietly as soon as Maes sat down beside him.

"I should have followed up on the incident at Lab Five two years ago," Hughes said as he shook his head. "But the investigation was formally closed and the situation in Sorelane was becoming urgent. I was going to deal with that then quietly reopen the investigation into Lab Five on my own, but when Al… It slipped through the cracks."

"I don't give a damn about Lab Five!" Roy hissed. "I want to know where they took Edward. He hasn't been admitted to a hospital or psychiatric ward. Officially he's been transferred to the Fuhrer's personal staff but we haven't been able to find his posting. Farman attempted to follow the Fuhrer's secretary after she took Edward. Goddamn it Maes, I identified his body this morning!"

"Roy, the Fuhrer's secretary, Juliet Douglas, the woman who took Ed; she's been dead for four years. Edward told us that one of the creatures he encountered in Lab Five had the ability to mimic Brigadier General Gran's appearance."

"And they have Ed again," Roy said realizing what Maes was telling him. "A fucking shape shifter, who wants Ed to make him a Philosopher's Stone through mass murder has Edward. Maes, Edward doesn't have a clue what reality is on a good day, let alone if some freak is screwing his head. He'll do it Maes."

"I know," Maes said. "We know they still need a lot of people who can disappear without raising eyebrows. We're checking the prisons."

Roy rubbed his eyes. "Prisons aren't the only way to hide bodies."

"Roy?"

"The population of a prison would hardly have made a bump in the casualty statistics during Ishbal. While it was going on we wanted the Philosopher's Stone for a weapon, afterwards we wanted it to undo what we done. Wars hide bodies and fuel new heights in research. Are these things and their quest the reason we're always at war?"

Hughes looked a little sick at the realization that Roy's assumption was probably correct.

"Ed's not like me," Roy said a moment later. "I came up with a theory of human transmutation but I never went through with it; Edward did. After they made me into a murder I put a gun in my mouth but I couldn't pull the trigger. We have to get Ed before they convince him to do something he can't live with."

"I've got everyone I can trust on this. We're doing everything humanly possible but Roy," Hughes hesitated. "I hate to even mention this, but you can't afford to be this distracted. You have to let my people handle it."

"Would you if it were Elysia?" Roy asked.

"That's fighting dirty," Maes said quietly.

"No it's not," Roy said. "Not anymore."

Maes sighed, "We'll find him Roy, trust us."


	17. It's Torture

**When it's Torture**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Thanks for the feedback:** lelann37, Primeval Eidolon Scar, KuramasGirl123, CuriousDreamWeaver, websurffer, Prozacfairy, Krows Scared, winryrockbell2, Lawrence Hazeltoe, silent:tears:fall

**Lawrence Hazeltoe:** Roy'll get his chance to react in thefollowingchapter.

* * *

When the cell door creaked open the prisoner threw himself onto his knees. "Please, not again, not again. Don't make me go there again," he begged.

"Get up," the guard ordered.

"Not again, not again," Suddenly the prisoner laughed hysterically. "Sixty-three times!" he shrieked. "Sixty-three times in front of the firing squad and the gun keeps misfiring. I should love that gun but I hate it! I hate him! Why can't you just kill me? This isn't an execution, it's torture."

The guards stared down at the man in contempt. "You were chosen to take part in the Doctor's study, stop being melodramatic."

The prisoner was forced to his feet and thrust into the queue of shackled prisoners slowly being marched to the door. While some of the prisoners flinched at everything and pled with their guards to be taken back to their cells others stared at the door with a dull look of acceptance, still others laughed like the whole thing was a joke.

"No way the kid's going to do anything," one of the later insisted. "I just think of this as a nice little field trip."

"All I know is I'm glad I'm on my side of the bars," one of the prisoners said as he stepped through the door.

The room on the other side was windowless concrete lit with glaringly harsh florescent lights. The walls, floor and ceiling were engraved with Alchemic symbols. The room was divided by a row of iron bars. When the last of the prisoners had filed into the larger section of the room the door in the far wall creaked open.

A hulking figure in plate armor stepped inside and the number of prisoners displaying bravado instantly diminished. "Maybe he'll really do it this time," one prisoner said, his expression a mix of fear and relief.

The small blond boy looked practically insignificant with the armored figured towering over him but it was the blond the prisoners watched. The boy moved stiffly, he kept one arm wrapped around his chest to cradle bruised ribs. His long hair hung loose in a filthy tangle, strands of gold were glued to his face and neck with dried blood. Slowly the blond dropped to his knees where the edge of the transmutation circle crossed the line of bars.

"Please kid, I got a family!" one prisoner shouted.

"Don't worry, he doesn't have the guts. He's not going to do anything."

The boy looked back at his armored companion pleadingly.

"You promised brother," the armored form said accusingly. "You promised to make me human. You aren't abandoning me are you? You're just like father."

"There are so many of them Al," The blond whispered. "There weren't so many before."

"Before we had the red water!" The armored figure snapped. "But you wasted it! Now you have to start from scratch. It's your own fault you have to kill them all or don't you care about me? You promised."

"Al, there's got to be-"

"No Brother, there is no other way. We looked remember?"

"I don't remember," the blonde protested softly.

"Then I guess you know what I feel like. Trust me brother, like I have to trust you. This is the only way. You owe it to me!"

The blond brought his hands up then stared across the circle; several of the prisoners met his eyes with fearful, pleading or defiant gazes. The blond's hands dropped into his lap. "I can't Al. They're human, I can't just kill them."

The armored figure kicked the blond viciously.

The small boy grunted with pain as his body collided with the bars. For a moment he just lay there then awkwardly pushed himself to his hands and knees. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

The armored figure crouched over him and lifted the blond into a kneeling position. "They're human and I'm not, isn't that right Brother?" he hissed accusingly into the blond's ear. "Well whose fault is that Brother-mine?"

"Please don't say that Al, please."

"I hate you for what you did to me."

There were tears running down the blond's face now; they cut fresh tracks through the blood and grime coating his cheeks.

"I hate you because you could make it right but you won't. I hate you because you don't love me enough to save me. I hate you brother; do you understand that? I hate you."

The blond's head came up and for the first time the prisoners saw a peaceful expression on his face. "I remembered something," he said.

He clapped his hands then lunged at the armored figure, when his hands made contact the armored figure was blown apart.

The blonde looked down at the gory remains splattered across the room. "I remembered that my brother, my real brother, could never hate me," he said with a grim sort of triumph.


	18. Murder's an Option

**When Murder is an Option**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Thanks for the feedback:** soybeansapinto, Lurkinshdws, Prozacfairy, AngstReflection, Eboni, Krows Scared, winryrockbell2, Hazard 13, KuramasGirl123, silent:tears:fall, Yimi Makuya, o0.meats.of.evil.0o, Shakia, theseahorse, Phoenix Hoshika, Nightwisher

* * *

Dressed in unmarked black Roy Mustang stood in the corner of the darkened office and waited. When Fuhrer Bradley and his secretary stepped inside and shut the door behind them Roy slapped a card with an alchemic circle drawn on it against the wall and activated it, in response the walls moved; they closed over the windows and doors to form an impenetrable barrier.

"Mustang, what are you doing?" the Fuhrer demanded angrily.

Roy shrugged. "Alchemy sir, just because I'm the Flame Alchemist doesn't mean I've forgotten the basic forms. To tell the truth I was hoping to catch your Secretary alone but I was always planning on killing you one day, it might as well be today." He snapped his fingers and a burst of white-hot flames consumed the Fuhrer, a moment later his blackened husk fell to the floor.

"You'll be put against a wall and shot for this," the Fuhrer's Secretary stated coldly.

"Not if I don't get caught," Roy replied. "Now let's get down to business Ms. Douglas, or whatever you are. I know you're not human. I imagine you're quite hard to kill, but there's precious little that won't burn if you apply enough heat and even fewer living things that can survive being reduced to ash. Where is Edward Elric?"

"So you've figured me out," the homunculi calling itself Juliet Douglas said. "And you've probably taken precautions should I prove harder to kill than you anticipate. Even if I succeeded in gaining the upper hand 'the gig is up' correct?"

Roy just smirked.

"However there is one very good reason for you to let me walk out of this room alive. I'm sure you're aware that the real Juliet Douglas is dead. If you reveal that fact I become the perfect patsy. The assassinated Fuhrer's personal secretary turns out to be an imposture. Who would look further than that to find his killer?"

"You have a point," Roy said. "Where is Edward?"

The homunculi smiled. "Have you heard of Applegate Prison? No? It's an hour south of central by way Tamiday Road. The turn off isn't marked, just a dirt road at mile post 45. You'll find your Fullmetal pipsqueak there."

"You've been very helpful," Roy said and snapped his fingers. "But you were wrong I still have one reason to kill you."

The homunculi opened her mouth to scream and the heat of the flames incinerated her lungs.

"Warrant Officer Vato Farman, you were responsible for his death of, that is not something I can just forget."

The homunculi lurched forward and grabbed Roy's arm. The flames wreathing her were so hot they burned through his sleeve and branded his flesh in the second it took him to kick her away from him.

By the time the creature had been reduced to a greasy smear of ash there was sweat beading up on Roy's face. He bit his lip and pressed another card with an alchemic circle on it. He thought back to the building schematics he's memorized earlier and wondered if Maes were insane because if feeling this scared and desperate was part of being a parent a person would have to be insane to volunteer for it. "I don't have time for a rebound," he reminded himself and touched the circle.

A chute opened in the floor. Roy dropped into it and let gravity take him. The chute spat him out in the parking lot behind the building. Roy rolled as he hit the ground then stood smoothly only to fall to his knees a moment later as exhaustion hit him. "Ed, they still have Ed," he reminded himself then stumbled to the car he'd had Havoc leave there for him.


	19. He's Found

**When He's Found**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Thanks for the feedback:** Prozacfairy, Krows Scared, Martson, Shakia, Yimi Makuya, winryrockbell2, Shingo-sama, Hinatafanboy, Nightwisher, KuramasGirl123

**winryrockbell2:** My take on Roy is that he wants to be the Fuhrer because he wants to fix the country and stop the possibility of another Ishbal Massacar. For all of Bradley's genial manners, he is the guy who ordered the State Alchemists to Ishbal and ultimately the one responsible for all the corruption in the government, Roy doesn't know about him being a homoculi but he does know that Bradley isn't a good guy. It isn't stated explicitly but my general impression of the Armistis government is that it's not a democracy, I don't think Roy expects to be promoted to Fuhrer (after all Riza has warned Roy about it being treason to even speak about his ambitions). If Roy eventually amassed an overwhelming amount of support he might give Bradley the chance to step down, but frankly Roy's planning a coup, it's highly likely that his intent was to rise high enough in the military to command enough support to take Bradley's place once he was dead.

In this story, Roy's statement that he would have killed Bradley someday was intended seriously, Roy always assumed that at some point he'd have to fight Bradley for control of the country. The timing got moved up because he needed information on Ed, Sloth was the only person he was sure could tell him where to find Ed, and he couldn't find a good time to attack Sloth without the Fuhrer present.To get away with interrogatingSlothabout Ed's whereabouts and avenging Farman he couldn't leave witnesses so he killed Bradley... who is not an innocent, even if Roy doesn't know exactly how guilty he is, he knows enough.

**Hinatafanboy: **Well Roy thought he was human anyway, which is why he didn't take the same precautions he took with Sloth to make sure she was dead rather than just shocked...And yes, the homuculus Roy took out was Sloth, Ed destroyed Envy in chapter 17. I'm trying to keep in mind that the characters have only limited knowledge of the homoculi, Ed knew Envy could shape-shift so to be safe Hughes and Mustang are assuming that otherhomoculi might becapable of doing the same.

* * *

Ed made it out of the prison without much difficulty; the part where he'd been held was deserted. Now he was walking through a pitch-black night with no clue as to wear he was, how he'd got there or where he was going. The icy mud squished up between his toes and his flesh foot felt numb. He couldn't seem to stop shivering. He could barely see his hand in front of his face and he knew that a maelstrom of bad things were swirling around him, waiting to pounce just out of his sight.

Headlights cut through the night and Ed knew he should hide but he just stood there. The car turned a corner and the harsh lights swept over him and burned painfully through his brain leaving him frozen.

The car skidded to a hard stop, Ed heard the door being thrown open. Then an indistinct form was hugging him, shaking him, shouting at him and hugging him again. Ed whimpered as the enthusiastic greeting jarred his cracked ribs.

"I'm sorry, Ed. Where are you hurt?"

Ed's eyes adjusted to the light and somewhere under the emotional display the person kneeling in front of him, carefully checking him for injuries, looked like Roy Mustang but he certainly wasn't acting like Ed's bastard Colonel. After the Al that wasn't Al Ed's brain was telling him he should be freaking out but his body wasn't asking his brain's permission before collapsing against Roy. Mustang's presence pushed the bad things away and the gloved fingers carding through his hair felt good; hypnotic. Roy's low voice was soothing even if it was lecturing him about something he couldn't be bothered to listen to.

Then Roy's voice changed. "Ed what happened? How did you get here?"

"It wasn't Al," Ed replied without bothering to lift his head off Roy's shoulder. "Al would never ask me to kill someone and Al would never hate me."

"No, he wouldn't. You saw through them." Roy said and Ed wondered at the relief and pride in the older man's voice. Then all of a sudden Roy slumped backward pulling them both to the ground. "Hate adrenalin crashes," Roy muttered to himself.

Ed's mouth dropped open, he knew about adrenalin crashes; when the only thing keeping you on your feet was fear and determination and then it was over. The adrenalin ran out and you had less than nothing left. But the only thing that had happened was Roy had found him.

"Come on Ed," Roy said as he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled back toward the car. "Can't risk someone following you. If I try one more transmutation tonight I will rebound."

Roy was out of uniform, unshaven and there was a fresh burn on his arm. Ed frowned and reached out to touch the edge of the burn carefully. Even when he didn't like to admit it, Edward was impressed by Roy's control over his flames. Fire should have been a brutal weapon but Roy made it elegant. By controlling the flow of oxygen Roy controlled what burned. He didn't get scorched. He wasn't acting at all like Ed's 'morally bankrupt Colonel with a God complex,' but Ed knew he was Roy Mustang just as surely as he had known that that thing back at the prison hadn't been his brother.

Roy pushed Edward into the car then staggered around to the driver's side. They drove back to the main road then Roy drove the car in a dense clump of trees along side the road. He reclined his seat and pulled Ed against his side. "Didn't go to this much trouble to lose you again," he said then fell asleep.

Ed considered shouting something about "Who did Mustang think was so small he could be mistaken for a teddy bear?" but Roy had been dead on his feet and it didn't seem like something that was worth waking him up over. Ed found himself remembering falling in the river when he'd been four, he'd almost drowned, after he'd been fished out his mother had refused to let him go for hours, Roy was acting the same way.

Plus Roy was warm and Ed couldn't remember the last time he'd been warm.

Besides there was something hidden in the darkness that surrounded him, something that would hurt like nothing else when it hit him. It was lurking out there, but Roy would keep it at bay. He didn't have to remember while Roy was there.


	20. Suspecting the Worst

**When You Suspect the Worst**

**Thanks for the feedback:**Prozacfairy,KuramasGirl123,winryrockbell2Yimi Makuyasilent:tears:fall,WildfireDreams, eeerica, Phoenix Hoshika,goddessofsilvermoonJebby,Lawrence Hazeltoe, BlackFire-Dog

**Author's Notes: **Sorry for the long delay, but one of the other stories I'm working on is just reaching a climax while this one was at a good pausing point with imho (what with Ed safely reunited with Roy), so "Friends: Old and New" has been getting a lion's share of my writing time. Things should be moving more quickly again. Ch 21 is already typed, just waiting editing and I've got three other ch. awaiting typing (however they're mostly Roy's staff, I'm thinking about interspresing some Ed & Roy stuff between them).

**Phoenix Hoshika:**Yeah, I've noticed theword strings, it's some sort of bug in the fanfic editor so I've triedmake sure I do my lasteditsbefore uploading, but I do write my author's notesafter Iupload (because I don't include themin the copyon my archive site).

Ed's reaction to killing Envy is fairly muted because Envy wasn't real to him once he realized that it wasn't Al. He didn't realize sooner because of his oldfears aboutAl not being able to forgive him.However when Envykept reiterating that hehated Ed it jogged his memory of the real Al vehemently insisting that he could NEVER hate him. At that point, in Ed's mind, Envy becamejust a figment froma nightmare, not a real person.

Re: Farman's death. It happened off page, in chapter 16 Roy tells Maes that he's just come from identifying the body.When Sloth took Ed Farman couldn't stop her because she had orders from the Fuhrer but he tried to follow her so that they'd know where Ed was taken and turned up dead several days later.

**Jebby:** Yeah, I know. g> Sometimes I just get in the mood for unrepentant angst. I only torture the characters I love.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Lt. Hawkeye glanced worriedly between the clock on the wall and the office door for the fifth time that morning. While it was anything but unheard of for Colonel Roy Mustang to show up for work late his absence seemed ominous this morning. She traded a concerned look with Jean Havoc and saw that he shared her premonitions. 

At eleven 'o clock the door burst open and the Fuhrer; accompanied by a full squadron of his guards and several State Alchemists; strode in. He gave Mustang's staff a piecing glare, as if he were searching for something and was disappointed when he didn't find it.

Hawkeye, Havoc, Breda and Fury leapt to their feet and saluted. "Fuhrer Bradley, sir," Hawkeye greeted him smartly, nominating herself as the group's spokesman in Mustang's absence.

"Hmmm, you're surprised to see me, but not shocked. So he acted on his own did he? I must admit I hadn't expected that."

"Fuhrer, may I ask the reason for your inspection?" Hawkeye said with a feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach.

"Ahh yes, the reason. Your Colonel Mustang tried to assassinate me last night. You haven't, by any chance, seen him this morning?" the Fuhrer asked lightly.

"No sir," Hawkeye replied.

"Not terribly surprising I suppose," the Fuhrer said. "I came here expecting to arrest the lot of you for treason, but it seems I might have been hasty. For the moment I am suspending all your current duties. If you bring in your rogue commander I will consider your loyalty to me proven. That will be all gentleman. Have a good hunt."

After the Fuhrer left there was a long moment of silence then Fury asked, "What do we do?"

"We find the Colonel before anyone else does," Hawkeye replied smoothly.

"Sure we're the only ones who would bring him back alive," Havoc said. "But what's the point? Even with Maes Hughes running the Court Martial division he'll end up in front of a firing squad."

"Unless he's innocent?" Fury suggested. "He is isn't he? The Colonel wouldn't do anything so rash would he?"

"Edward has been missing for almost a month," Hawkeye stated simply. "And did I say anything about taking him back?"

"Did you notice who wasn't at the Fuhrer's right hand?" Havoc remarked. The group exchanged a grim look of satisfaction: Vato Falman's death had been avenged.

"Bradley and Douglas were our only solid leads to Edward's location," Hawkeye said in a business-like tone. "The Colonel wouldn't have tried to kill them without first extracting that information; that indicates the attempt was up close and personal."

"And there weren't any fire alarms last night," Havoc added. "The Colonel wasn't interrupted in the middle, he walked away with information about Ed, believing that both the Fuhrer and his secretary were dead… How the hell could Roy Mustang make a mistake like that? He knows if he gave a person a third or second degree burns before the smoke clears."

"Maybe – maybe that wasn't Fuhrer Bradley," Fury offered nervously. "They replaced the real Juliet Douglas, why couldn't they replace the Fuhrer too, more than once if necessary."

"It's possible," Hawkeye allowed. "Regardless we have to find the Colonel first and tell him that he's wanted for high treason."


	21. The Game Changes

**When the Game Changes**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

As he tromped along the lonely road Maes fingered his knives and cursed his best friend roundly. He'd woken up that morning to find a note from Roy slipped under his door that stopped just short of being a suicide note.

"You always whine when I change plans at the last moment." Translation: I'm going to do something insanely reckless and I don't want you talking me out of it.

"If it doesn't work out -" Aka: If I get myself killed. "-I'm trusting you to take care of things –" Edward, Roy's staff.

"If all else fails I'll be sure to open up some opportunities for advancing our plan." In other words if Roy got caught he wasn't going down without a fight and would try to take as many members of the Military's corrupt upper echelon down along with him as possible. And _someone _would have to fill those empty slots so while Maes was taking care of the people Roy cared about could he take care of fixing the country too? Roy had never been shy about asking favors.

Before Maes could do anything about Roy, Maria Ross called with information about another prison located conveniently close to state research lab. Then she mentioned that Roy Mustang had tried to kill the Fuhrer. All of which left Hughes here, several miles from the prison Ed had escaped from, hoping that one of his people would find the boy before any of the guards from the prison or the lab and hoping that when they did find him Roy would be with him.

Hughes saw a pair of fresh tire tracks leading off the road. "Sloppy Roy," he muttered but when he spotted the car he smiled in relief. He almost didn't want to wake them up. Roy looked relaxed for the first time since Ed had been taken and Maes hated to be the barer of bad news. But the bad news in question was more than dire so Hughes rapped on the window then stepped back and waited for Roy to recognize him.

"I found him," Roy mouthed silently as he shifted Ed off the shoulder the boy had been using for a pillow. Roy eased the car door open and slipped out then gestured toward the edge of the glade so that they could talk without waking Ed. Maes noted that Roy kept Ed carefully in his line of sight.

"The Fuhrer's looking for you," Hughes said with a defeated sigh.

"No," Mustang argued. "He was dead, people don't survive third degree burns over every surface on their bodies or breathing superheated air."

"Then they replaced him with one of them or maybe he was one of them all along, I don't know!" Hughes exclaimed. "But he's not dead and he knows you tried to kill him. You're a fugitive Roy."

"My staff?" Mustang asked.

"Safe for the moment," Hughes reported. "They've been given the chance to redeem themselves in the Fuhrer's eyes by hunting you down."

"You're going to have to take over for me," Roy said. "How do you feel about being Fuhrer Maes?"

"Roy, don't be stupid. I chose my career path with an eye toward watching your back, not the rapid advancement or widespread notoriety your plan calls for," Maes said. "The Eastern Sector is primed to support your bid for Fuhrer, not mine. Hardly anyone _in_ the Military knows who I am, let alone the civilians."

"And Hawkeye or Havoc won't advance unless they deliver my head on a plate," Roy sighed. "I ought to order them to do it but I can't abandon Ed like that. As long as those things are in charge he's going to have to stay a fugitive."

Roy sat down on a tree stump and rested his forehead on his knees. "Hell Maes. What do I do now? I have to take care of Ed but we have to do something about Bradley. I thought he perverted the State Alchemists into the Military's Dogs out of expediency when the war with Ishbal kept dragging on but if he was one of those things all along then he was looking for an excuse to have us commit genocide from the start."

"How secure is your support base in the Eastern Sector?" Maes asked quietly.

Roy looked up at his friend in shock. "You're talking about instigating a civil war."

"I know, but Lior is well on it's way to becoming the next Ishbal. If you could swing the entire sector to secede from Amestris… There are plenty of ambitious people in the Military, that large of a blow to Bradley's image could give them ideas," Maes said. "We might be able to shatter the Homunculi's power block without removing Bradley from power."

"If we secede Amestris would dissolve into several warring states, we'd be open to outside conquest," Roy pointed out.

"Who is the lesser evil: Drachma or the Homunculi?" Maes asked.

"You're right," Roy said. "And the Eastern Sector is the best situated. The desert will protect us from Xing. If we're the spark that set off this powder keg we'll be best prepared for the fall out; anyone else who breaks away will be an easier target. If there are several splits they'll work things out with each other before turning on us."

Roy paused for a moment then continued, "Bradley will need to make an example of us if he can, but there were a number of Alchemists who's desertions I helped cover up during Ishbal. Most of them are listed as killed in the line of duty. They're good, much better than the average class of recruits the Military was able to entice after Ishbal, I think we can match numbers with skill. We can do this. It'll take some time to gather support, but if I'm in the Eastern Sector my staff will have every reason to return as well. They'll know what to do if you mention the general plan."

Hughes' mouth twitched, his expression was too grim to be called a smile. "And my people will spread the proper rumors in Central. This is between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea Roy but I don't see that we have any other choice. Gracia has a cousin in one of those minor Eastern townships, I can never remember which one, who's due a visit."

"I should have talked to you," Roy said quietly. "Then Gracia and Elysia could have left yesterday."


	22. Traveling

**When Traveling**

**Thanks for the feedback: **Lurkinshdws, cartoonwatcher31, winryrockbell2, FMA-lover16, Yimi Makuya, Lawrence Hazeltoe, Phantom 1, Tenka-chan, Kanatasha, Shadow Dreamer 27, Horcrexhexer,

**Tenka-chan:** Even though Roy tends to be physically demonstrative the story is not heading toward yaio. It's just that Roy spent several **years** dealing with Ed mentally being a small child so he got used to dealing with him on that level, as a small child who needed to be hugged or held for comfort.

**Kanatasha:** I only torture characters I love. Ed's taken a turn for the better at the moment I have no plans to subject him to further suffering. It's always good to have people takes turns going through the wringer or else they end up like Matt Murdock (suffering mental breakdowns on a regular schedule).

**Phoenix Hoshika:** About the homunculi dying too easily, Sloth and Envy's deaths were planned out before I saw the end of the arc about Greed. I was operating under the general theory that it would be sufficient to destroy them at a chemical level. Roy cremated Sloth, Ed pulled Scar's trick but rather than trying to inflict a fatal wound (what I think Scar generally does when he kills people) he wanted to completely destroy Envy.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

"Up and at 'em Edo," Roy announced with a cheerfulness that sprung from sheer evil as he pulled the wonderful, warm, light blocking blankets off of Ed's recumbent body.

"Dad!" Ed whined reflexively as he tried to recapture both the bedding and his disturbed sleep. He blushed fiercely when he realized what he'd called Roy then decided that he could have meant it sarcastically because Roy was acting suspiciously parental again. It was okay to sarcastically call Mustang 'Dad' Ed reminded himself. It was just when that name; one he'd never considered using for _anyone_; slipped out by accident that it was a problem. Because Roy was _not_ his father and since he was _not _crazy he didn't have weird memories where Roy was.

Roy didn't acknowledge Ed's slip of the tongue – well not really. Ed didn't believe that slightly wistful smile could have possibly had any relation to what he'd said. Roy didn't relinquish the blankets either, so Ed grudgingly got up and started to pack his bedroll so Roy could strike their tent.

Ed had never considered Roy Mustang to be the type to know anything about camping but on second thought he realized it was probably the sort of thing the military required a person to learn regardless of their preferences and Colonel Mustang wasn't just an Alchemist with a curtsey rank, he was career military. Or he had been. Ed shook his head Mustang not being a part of the military was almost stranger than the parental-vibe he'd developed.

Roy and Ed had been traveling together for a while; Ed was pretty sure it had been longer than a week but not more than a few months. The days tended to blend into one another and time only existed in a perpetual state of now. He was traveling with Roy now and thinking about the future or the past was a BAD IDEA. Now was morning and they were camping out again because the military monitored the railways and towns were few and far between in this area. So breakfast was going to be up to them and worrying about anything beyond breakfast was Roy's problem.

Ed located the matches and considered the oddity of the Flame Alchemist starting a fire like everyone else but Roy claimed that 'Using Alchemy for that sort of thing was flash and flash was for impressing rubes and superior officers. Besides ignition cloth wore out and he couldn't exactly requisition replacements now could he?' It wasn't entirely different from Ed's teacher's views on the subject. Ed couldn't decide if the thought of Roy Mustang and Izumi Curtis having something in common was scary or just unbelievable.

By the time Ed had a pot of oatmeal hung over the fire to heat Roy had stowed their gear back in the car. "Oatmeal again huh, Edo?" Roy remarked as he sauntered over. He tried to ruffle Ed's hair but the younger alchemist ducked and swatted his hand away irritably. "We'll have a place to stay tonight," Roy continued. "The least of what Granite owes me is hospitality."

Ed wondered why Roy never called him Fullmetal anymore. He wondered what had happened to his watch but he didn't ask because the answers were likely to be found outside of the safe envelop of Now.

"After this we'll head back East again," Roy said. "Make a stir, give everyone a reason to stay where I need them, then we'll turn south, scare up a few more of my old friends."

Ed hesitated, uncertain if he really wanted to ask, but he owed it to Al; he'd made a promise. "Any of them know something about the Philosopher's Stone?"

Roy stood up and stared at the horizon. Ed started to ask again. "No," Roy said. "They won't know anything about that."

"Then I… I should… I have to…" Ed shuttered. Roy had come and found him when he'd been trapped in a nightmare. Roy's presence made him feel safe and protected in a way he'd forgotten he could feel. Roy was the first person since his mother's death that Ed had allowed to take responsibility for fixing things. Auntie Pinako had tried but Ed had always clung to his own plan, his own hope for making things the way they had been. He knew he shouldn't depend on Roy, but knowing didn't change how he felt and he didn't want to leave. He couldn't neglect his quest but he was afraid to be alone. There was still something out there waiting for him to be unprotected.

"Edo, it's too dangerous right now." Roy objected. "If they get you back they'll hurt you. I can't protect you if you leave."

"You never protected me," Ed said knowing he was lying but saying it anyway because he was supposed to distrust and dislike Roy Mustang.

Roy had betrayed him. He'd come into Ed's life the night Ed ran out of hope, when he'd mutilated himself and all but destroyed his brother while failing to bring his mother back. That night he'd had nothing to fall back on and Roy had offered him a path forward, a way to undo the damage he'd done. That little spark carried Ed through the automail surgery and had gotten him to Central. Then Roy had given Ed a glimpse of the games he played. Ed had arrived in Central trusting Roy to give him the means to put things right again only to learn that Roy only held the possibility of those things. Nina's death and Roy coldly forcing him to face his own helplessness in the face of it had cemented Ed's understanding of what Roy had really offered him that night in Resembool.

That night Ed had heard the promise of certainties: He would be a State Alchemist. The National Library would hold the key to the Philosopher's Stone. Al's body would be restored. Staring at the bloody splatter on the wall which had been Nina and Alexander Ed came to understand the deal Roy had offered him: In exchange for the use of Ed's talents to advance Roy's goals Roy would create chances for Ed to forward his own goals: The opportunity for an eleven-year-old to take the licensing exam for State Alchemists. Access to the Nation Library and any answers it might hold. Clues and leads about the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. And a chance to restore Al if it were at all possible. Sometimes Ed could even admit to himself that the reason he had gotten angry at the Colonel so frequently was because he'd never gotten over the disappointment of realizing that despite what Roy had implied; had let him believe; in Resembool, Roy had never had the answers Ed needed so desperately. At least, he didn't remember getting over it, but he couldn't seem to find what had become of that anger and in spite of himself he couldn't seem to stop from trusting Roy yet again. That Ed truly couldn't understand, because there was hardly anyone whom he trusted and he certainly didn't trust someone who had already let him down.

Roy looked strickened. "I'm sorry. I tried. I tried to give you a safety net and still give you enough freedom to do the things I couldn't. But it wasn't enough when you needed it, I know that!" he exclaimed. "I'm trying to make it up to you but I can't if you leave and get yourself killed!"

"I didn't mean it," Ed said as his new and inexplicable trust in Roy got the better of the old anger he had been trying to stir up because he wasn't the only one who'd changed. Roy was more open or at least easier to read and easier to hurt and Ed didn't like hurting him.

"Ed you don't know what you're talking about so don't excuse my failures," Roy said almost harshly. Then, suddenly switching back to the parental tone he'd somehow picked up, Roy said. "Have you done the maintenance for your automail yet?" Roy's parental tone had a something in common with his command voice, but instead of making Ed want to do the exact opposite he found himself obeying, often without question.

Ed dug the small cleaning brushes and an oilcan out of his gear and started working on his automail feeling grateful for the distraction and the change of subject. He left his shoulder for last since it was an awkward joint to care for himself.

"Here," Roy said and took the brush out of Ed's hand. He turned Ed around and, with practiced ease, started cleaning the accumulated grime out of the joint. If Roy had asked Ed certainly would have said no, if it hadn't felt so relaxing to let someone else take care of him he would wondered how Roy could be familiar with what needed to be done.

Roy worked in silence for a time while Ed's anger and confusion fade away before he brought up the initial argument. "How would Al feel if you got yourself killed?" Roy asked seriously. "Right now it's too dangerous to go after the Stone. I'm not asking you to give up on finding it just wait until the Homunculi have been dealt with."

Ed slumped in defeat. "Alright, you win." He knew he shouldn't give in, not on this, but he didn't want to leave and Roy was right; Al wouldn't like him taking excessive risks.eHe


	23. Conspiring

**When Conspiring**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Jean Havoc took his time considering the chessboard while he waited for his former general to consider the information Havoc had given him.

"Yes, I can see why you're concerned," the elderly commander of the Eastern Sector remarked.

Havoc moved his knight forward. "The last time I saw Roy Mustang he was on his way to put this information in front of the Fuhrer," he said, speaking around his ever present cigarette. "The next thing I know I'm being told that Colonel Mustang tried to assassinate Fuhrer Bradley."

The general shifted a pawn forward to free his bishop. "I always thought Roy seemed like a very responsible young man. The news came as quite a shock to me as well. You believe these creatures framed him?"

Havoc cleared a path for his rook. "At best," he said. "At worst we fear that they've replaced Fuhrer Bradley with one of their own. We need to get Colonel Mustang's side of the story but you know Frank Archer's reputation."

"He does have a habit of bring fugitives back dead," the general acknowledged.

Havoc nodded. "The way we see it Archer's being sent to silence Roy."

"I can't prevent Archer's appointment as the commander of your unit," the general said, "but I'm certain I can find ways to keep him distracted."

"That's the most we could ask for," Havoc said. "I don't know what we'll do if Roy actually confirms our fears."

"Young man, we will be obligated to take action against these invaders."

"I suppose we will."

They played in silence for several minutes. Havoc went to move one of his bishops behind enemy lines then hesitated with the piece still in his hand. "Maes Hughes has his people looking into this. If suspicions fall on any of them it would be good for him to know he has a safe place to transfer them to."

"Of course, let him know I would be happy to have them," the general said. "I may have to transfer some people back to Central to make room but that shouldn't be difficult. Quite a few people consider Eastern to be a punishment posting." He gave Havoc a sly look. "You could probably make a list of suggestions as to who should be offered a transfer first. The personnel roster hasn't changed too much since you left."

Havoc looked startled then grinned. "I could certainly manage that for you Sir."

"Concentrate on your game young man, concentrate on your game."

* * *

**Choice time again:** I'm going to be bringing some additional characters as Roy starts gathering allies, are their any characters people would particularly like to see? And, Wing Omega, I do have plans for at least one chapter featuring Sheska ;-) .

By-the-by, does anyone know the name of the General in charge of Eastern Command? I only remember seeing him in one episode and I don't think he was ever called by name.


	24. It's Time to Eat

**When It's Time to Eat**

**Thanks for the feedback: **aeryn-kun, winryrockbell2, Wing Omega, Yimi Makuya, Edward's Josie Black, Lurkinshdws, lelann, Blinded by Rainbows, Flashlight Maniac, hecate-19, KuramasGirl123, S J Smith, Tenka-chan

**hecate-19:** Thanks for the recommendation. I'm still working out details about Al's final fate, the original ending was too close to another story I'd read for my taste, I'll keep that in mind, but I'monly up to ch. 21 in the manga. And thanks for the name, I rewatched the (one) anime episode with him and I don't think they ever named him.

**winryrockbell2: **A little action, just for you g>

**S J Smith: **Thanks for the catch.

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

"Is it time to eat her now?" 

"Not yet Gluttony. It's possible that the little mouse put it together on her own; she is a nosy thing; but we need to be sure."

"Awww Lust, but I want to."

"Gluttony," Lust said warningly.

"Yes Lust," Gluttony sighed.

The pair watched a young woman with untidy brown hair and glasses walk past the mouth of the alley where they lurked.

They fell in step on either side of the girl. "So you're the one who has been telling tales," Lust said.

Sheska shrieked and jumped a foot in the air. "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

"Oh that's not important," Lust purred. "What is important; my little bookworm; is you. You've been saying some very naughty things about our revered Fuhrer."

"You're going to kill me aren't you?" Sheska squeaked.

"Perhaps not, what we really want to know is who was planting such malicious lies in a young girl's mind. We'll let you live if you tell us who's behind these stories," Lust promised.

"I never should have joined the military!" Sheska exclaimed then started running.

"Well, that was rude," Lust remarked.

"Can I eat her now?"

"I told you; first we interrogate her, then you can eat her," Lust said a tad crossly.

"Just a bite? Please Lust?" Gluttony whined.

"I suppose you could have one of her legs," Lust compromised. "It would keep her from running off again."

"Oh! Thank you Lust!" Gluttony exclaimed as he ran after Sheska.

"Remember: Just a leg! She still has to talk," Lust called after her rotund companion.

"Why did I ever join the military?" Sheska wondered to herself as she ran. "Not that street, just leads to a group of residential circles. Thank goodness I've looked over the city plans."

The brown haired girl wrenched up a manhole cover and dropped into the drainage tunnel beneath the street.

"I'm a librarian! What am I doing running from government assassins? Three hundred feet north and fifty feet east then it'll be a straight shot to Lt. Brosh's apartment. He's the closest."

She began counting her paces as she ran. "Arrh, a running pace is longer than a walking pace…"

"I have her scent Lust!" Gluttony exclaimed as he squirmed through narrow opening that led back to the street ten minutes later.

Lust pouted sexily. "She's trickier than I gave her credit for. You have my permission to eat both her legs – slowly."

Sheska pounded desperately on Denny Brosh's door then picked up a rock and threw it through his window. "Lt. Brosh! Help!" she shouted. "Ooooh, he's not home! Where do I go now?"

A razor sharp, five-foot long finger embedded itself in the door beside Sheska's head. "You've led us on a merry chase, Mousey, but now the fun's over. Who's been helping you spread your seditious little stories?"

"I'm not telling you anything you… you monster!" Sheska shouted. "I heard what you did to Ed!"

"All right," Lust sighed. "Gluttony, bite off her foot. The right one."

"I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!" Sheska cried.

An arm that was too fast, too long and too flexible to be human wrapped around Sheska and snatched her off Lt. Brosh's doorstep. "Run," the tattooed blonde owner of the arm ordered brusquestly.

"Good idea," Sheska squeaked and ran until her lungs burned with the effort of keeping pace.

Her rescuer towed her in the direction of a bad part of town. Sheska swallowed nervously but didn't object; the new monster wasn't threatening to eat her after all.

"Lust! Lust!" Gluttony called nervously as he ran after the tall sultry woman. "Stop Lust!"

"I'm not letting that brat get away," Lust exclaimed.

"I can taste him," Gluttony panted fearfully. "This place is Greed's."

Lust stopped abruptly. "If we chase her through Greed's territory – well we all know how he is. We'll just have to try again later I suppose."

"But Lust, the snake-girl-"

Lust sent him a quelling look and his mouth snapped shut. "We don't want to draw Greed's attention to her. It'll be months before Envy or Sloth manage to pull themselves back together. Wrath is still missing. Pride lets himself depend on Sloth too heavily and he can't let go of the fact that he underestimated that human colonel. Now is not a good time to cross Greed."

"Yes Lust." Gluttony agreed and the pair turned back the way they'd come.

"Where are you taking me?" Sheska asked when she realized they weren't being chased anymore.

"To Greed."

"A-are you one of them?" Sheska asked as she remembered the other girl's oddly inhuman movements.

"I'm not a homunculus."

"That's a relief," Sheska said. "I'm Sheska."

"Marta."

Sheska continued slowing down until Marta began tugging impatiently on her arm. "Um- Not that I'm not grateful – Thank you for saving my foot… and my life – but um… What do you want with me?"

"You're not good at discretion." Marta informed her.

"Sorry?"

"All the other stories originated from some bar, but there was enough truth in them to stick in people's minds and so they spread, even if the storyteller was forgotten. You, on the other hand, talked to sober people."

"But what do you want with me?" Sheska cried.

"Little sis wanted you, that would be more than of a reason for me, even if I hadn't been looking for you," a new voice declared. "It's just my nature to want everyone else's toys."

Sheska turned and saw a tall, pale man with a confident swagger and a shark's smile.

"But don't worry, unlike my siblings, I only break my toys when I think they're going to be taken away from me."

* * *

Okay, I decided Envy and Sloth died too easily (and I started having other ideas for them) so they were only severely injured and are slowly recuping. 


	25. Chased

**When Chased**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

**Notes:** Sorry this took so long, first Ranma stole my muse then real life stole all my writing time. I'm still pretty busy but hopefully I'll be able to establish some sort of regular schedule again.

* * *

Lt. Colonel Frank Archer smiled grimly as he gestured for his new unit to follow him. Ever since he'd arrived at the Eastern Command it had been one thing after another: His bags were transferred to the wrong train. His paperwork had been misfiled. A water pipe broke in his new quarters. His new second sent every member of his staff on extended recognizance missions the day before he was scheduled to arrive. His orders recalling them went astray. The last four leads he'd followed up on had been unsubstantiated rumor and Lt. Hawkeye's dog had it in for him. But things were looking up. According to the local Innkeeper a pair matching Mustang and Eldric's descriptions had roomed there the previous night. The boy's current whereabouts were unknown but the man was in the tavern.

"Just remember this is your one chance. If you let Mustang slip my noose I'll happily put it around your necks," Archer said coldly.

"Understood sir," Lt. Hawkeye replied without expression.

Breda and Fury came to attention sharply.

"What she said," Lt. Havok replied with a nod toward Hawkeye.

Archer gave them a skeptical look. "You've been warned," he said then burst through the doors to the tavern. It was empty except for Roy Mustang, who sat casually with his back to the bar, waiting. "Archer," Mustang greeted his successor calmly, his pristine white gloves practically glowed in the dimly lit bar.

For one critical second Archer froze. 'Mustang was a fugitive, he wasn't supposed to be the one setting traps!' Archer thought.

The sound of Mustang's fingers snapping broke Archer out of his momentary hesitation but it was much too late. The spark leapt from Mustang's glove to zig-zag across the room like a demented firefly. A foot from Archer's nose it rapidly expanded into a ball of flames. The flash blinded all five members of the unit, the shockwave flung Archer back through the doors and into one of the posts supporting the porch.

A hand closed lightly on Riza Hawkeye's shoulder as she squinted and blinked in an effort to clear the spots from her vision. "Best make it look good," an amused voice instructed then she heard Roy run toward the door. Her eyes still watering, Riza drew her gun and ran after him. Outside she knelt beside Archer's limp body and braced her forearms on the low railing to steady her aim then she emptied her clip.

Roy never flinched or glanced back as each of her shots missed him by a matter of inches.

"Our esteemed new commander is out cold," Havoc reported.

"I am certain he would order us to leave him behind to pursue the Colonel," Hawkeye said.

"And even if he didn't the Fuhrer personally ordered us to go after Roy," Havoc said, suppressed laughter under-laid his tone. "Hey you!" he yelled to a passerby on the street. "The Lt. Colonel here took a pretty bad hit. Make sure he sees a doctor before coming after us okay?"

"Let's go," Hawkeye said.

The chase was long and involved much gunfire and many explosions before leading out of town. Suddenly Black Hayate started barking excitedly and raced ahead of the four officers.

Breda cringed at the sudden noise from the dog. "What's with him?"

"I believe-" Hawkeye began only to be cut off as she was snatched from behind.

"Boo," Roy laughed.

"Sir, this is completely improper," Riza protested.

"I'm not your commanding officer at the moment," Roy remarked. "It would be remiss of me _not_ to take advantage of the situation."

"Well, at least it's not my girlfriend he's stalking this time," Havoc said with a slight grin.

"What I want to know is why I had to stay here and miss all the fun," Ed announced as he walked up to the group. His flesh fingers were buried in Black Hayate's ruff and the dog was leaning against him affectionately.

"Because I said so," Roy declared and released Riza. "I couldn't be sure who Archer would take with him until he was there, it was too dangerous."

"Edward's condition seems to be improving," Hawkeye remarked quietly to Roy while the others greeted Ed affectionately.

"He's turning back into his old, mulishly stubborn, independent self," Roy confirmed. "God, he's going to be the death of me. How do I keep him safe when he won't want to be protected for much longer?"

Riza smiled. "He's becoming a teenager again. This time you can let Lt. Colonel Hughes know what he has to look forward to," she said as she went to join the others clustered around Ed.

"Cut it out!" Ed protested as Havoc draped an arm around his shoulders and cheerfully ruffled his hair.

"Good to see you in one piece kiddo," Havoc said.

"Don't call me 'kid'," Ed complained.

Havoc laughed and tightened his grip on Ed as the boy sputtered and struggled against the affectionate teasing.

"Er, um… Where's Al?" Ed asked. "I, um, I don't know, I though he was with you?"

"Al's in Risembool," Breda answered evasively.

"Oh." Ed hesitated. "That makes sense; someone has to look out for Winry and Auntie Pinako."

"Well, let's hear it," Roy said to his staff.

After a moment's hesitation Havoc stepped forward. "Lt. General Gruman is still a friend of yours. He finds our spin on recent events more palatable than the official one. If we can offer proof that the Fuhrer is a homunculus Gruman will take action against him."

"If Bradley were human he'd be dead now," Roy stated. "Hughes will find the proof for us."

"Fuery stepped up next. "Rearranging personnel is going smoothly. Roughly sixty percent of the troops assigned to General Gruman are with us. I'm also building up an excess of guns and armaments."

"Excellent work," Roy said. "Breda?"

"Give me three days advance notice and every rail line connecting Eastern with the other sectors will be demolished. I'm making preparations to fortify our boarders as soon as we declare them."

"Very good."

"Sir," Hawkeye said. "Lior is going to be a problem. The units stationed there report directly to General Hakuro and not Lt. General Gruman. They are loyal to him."

"Have you contacted the rebel forces?"

"I'm working on it sir, however I doubt they have sufficient numbers remaining to be a significant factor," Hawkeye replied.

"Understood, continue your efforts. We need the support of the civilian officials." Roy dug a list out of his pocket. "Ed and I have made contact with these individuals. They're favorable to my proposal but it would help their morale to see that I've got support from a faction in the military. I'll be sending you additional information using a similar cipher to the one I use for my alchemy research, Havoc, your black book will have the key."

Havoc snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, I remember which ones you stole. You better make this look good. Archer's just waiting for an excuse."

"Right. Draw your weapons. Ed, get a hold of Black Hayate, he doesn't need to get caught in the explosion," Roy said. "Everyone remembered to fire a couple of rounds?"

Fuery colored as he aimed his gun off to the side and fired.

Riza felt a faint breeze as the air around her began to move.

"Later," Breda said with a wave.

Roy snapped his fingers several times in a quick succession, tearing up the landscape and scattering his officers like bowling pins. "Time to go, Ed," he said quietly.


	26. Choosing Allies

**When Choosing Friends**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Maes Hughes gave the creature sprawled across his couch a wary look. His hands drifted toward his throwing knives.

"Relax, I'm not with them," Greed said. "And even if I was your little toys won't do you any good so you may as well sit down and listen to what I want like a civilized person."

"You are _one of them_," Hughes said. He gestured to the ouroboro on the back of Greed's hand. "Or is that just body art? Why should I believe that you're not working for the Fuhrer?"

"Pride; Bradley to you, isn't running the show, he's just the top pawn," Greed said. "As for me, I've got my own agenda. I saved your little book-girl from Lust and Gluttony; would I have done that if I was working with them?"

"Prove to me that Sheska is safe," Hughes said.

Greed pointed to the phone. "The number's 715-4567."

Still keeping a careful eye on Greed, Hughes hurried acrossed the room, picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello?" a man's voice said.

"Put Sheska on," Hughes ordered.

"Hey, book-girl, your boss is calling."

After a few seconds Sheska said miserably. "I'm sorry Lt. Colonel, I – I'm just no good at this espionage stuff."

Maes sighed. "Sheska, I didn't _ask_ you to _investigate _those rumors," he said and hoped that she'd get the hint that this wasn't a secure line and it would be a good idea to _not_ implicate him. "I hired you for your memory not your acting skills."

"I'm sorry," Sheska repeated. "I shouldn't have gone off on my own."

"How have they been treating you?" Maes asked.

"They, um, haven't hurt me or anything," Sheska said. "They've mostly been telling me stuff."

"So you think they could be the source of those nasty rumors about our Fuhrer?" Maes suggested.

"Er, um, yes sir?" Sheska replied.

"Okay, well don't you worry; I'll have you back in the office looking at photos of my adorable daughter in no time," Maes declared. He hung up and turned back to Greed. "So, what do you want?"

"She really is pathetic at this game," Greed commented.

"She's the best researcher I've met," Hughes set defensively.

"Careful, you might convince me that I want to keep her," Greed replied with a shark's grin. "And it's not so much what I want as it is a matter of what we can do for each other. For example, that girl is hopelessly compromised. You're going to have to send her away. I'd also like to get most of my people out of the Fuhrer's territory. It would be safer for her if she had an escort when you sent her where-ever it is that you're amassing your allies."

"Seems like you could simply pack up and go if you wanted to be gone," Hughes said.

"It was just an example," Greed replied with a careless shrug. "You need to know more about what you're fighting. You need proof of illegal and immoral acts being committed by the Fuhrer's government. I know as much about homunculi as you do about humans. MY people include human chimera, created by the Fuhrer's government and they were ordered to instigate the Ishbalan War. As for me, I need allies. We've established that I'm not on their side and my former Master won't forget me. They're trying to kill your girl for spreading rumors when my people are living proof that those rumors are true. And I'm Greed; trust me, I am getting something out of allying with you; I just thought I'd focus on what you get out of the deal; it's more persuasive."

Hughes leaned casually against the door frame; his glasses gleamed in the reflected light from the hall. "Well _Greed_, I've learned that it's prudent to ask the cost before making the deal; especially when it's a tempting offer."

"The suspicious sort huh?" Greed asked. "Why's it so hard to believe that I want allies? It's me and my little gang of misfits verse Pride, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony and their whole Military State. And then there's our Master; she has a little something of mine that threatens to take away everything I've acquired. I need someone else to fight her; you need to know how to fight my kind. You've got a country and an army in the making. You've got Alchemists like that Fullmetal boy and the Flame who just might be good enough to make a difference against my kind. I want that… on my side."

"Pride, Sloth, Envy, Lust, Gluttony and Greed; isn't someone missing?" Hughes asked.

Greed shrugged. "If there's a new Wrath, we haven't found him yet. Are you ready to deal or not."

"I'm ready to deal." Hughes replied.


	27. Meeting Old Friends

**When Meeting Old Friends**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

Izumi Curtis didn't let herself watch the children as they played. They'd left Dublith because of the children. Izumi could cheerfully and forcefully tell the town's people that it was none of their damn business when they questioned her decision to take in a child with such a profound air of wrongness but the children trusted her more than their own instincts. She didn't know how to make them understand that even though she'd taken the boy into her home and treated him as her child Shon was not a suitable playmate for any small, fragile bits of life.

This would be a fresh start. Shon had been badly frightened by the rage he'd invoked in Dublith; there was a good chance he'd be more willing to do as she said this time. If she and Sig kept to themselves these children wouldn't be so inclined to try to include Shon in their games. Hopefully they could live here quietly in semi-reclusion and no one else would be hurt by her sin.

Still, it wasn't going to be easy; she'd always loved children. Wistfully Izumi's gaze slid back to the laughing, exuberant play. She and Sig had decided that they wouldn't let it be known that she was an Alchemist, if their parents didn't turn to Izumi when their tools broke the children wouldn't bring their broken toys to her. She could still watch them and wish that her Shon could be like them.

Izumi's eyes widened in surprise when she saw a familiar golden-haired boy hesitantly join the younger children's games. Almost before the boy's identity registered in her mind Izumi was searching the group for the blonde's calmer, bronze-haired shadow. She frowned when she failed to spot Alphonse; in Izumi's experience the brothers were completely inseparable. The younger boy's absence was enough to make her doubt that the blond was really Edward and not a doppelganger.

One of the smaller children balanced precariously on a tree limb while he tried to reach a higher limb on the other side of the trunk. The older children had made it across the gap with ease but he couldn't quite reach. He leaned out a bit further then shrieked as he lost his balance and fell. As one, Izumi and Edward clapped their hands, Alchemic fire raced across the ground and merged beneath the falling boy. The dirt changed texture and became a cushion to soften the boy's landing.

The two Alchemists sighed in relief when the small boy's terrified cry turned into laugher as he bounced on the cushion. Then Edward and Izumi's eyes met across the park.

"Teacher?" Ed's voice came out as a strangled squeak. Then he turned and ran.

"Ed didn't use a circle," Izumi said to herself; her eyes filled with anger and disappointment as she realized what that meant. She'd heard rumors, she'd almost gone out looking for her errant apprentices, but then she'd found Shon and in the delay the stories about the Fullmetal Alchemist began to sound less and less like Edward and Alphonse Eldric. She'd let herself become convinced that it wasn't them, she'd been wrong.

Izumi sprinted across the park, angling to cut off her wayward student's retreat.

Edward reached the gate he'd chosen for his escape three steps in front of Izumi. She lunged forward and just caught the trailing hem of his coat but that was enough. Izumi yanked back sharply and sent Edward tumbling to the ground. Then she took another step forward to loom over the boy menacingly. "Edward, haven't you learned that running away only makes your punishment worse?"

Ed's face colored. "Err, hi Teacher. I didn't see you?"

"Edward," Izumi sighed and shook her head. "You're a terrible liar. I don't know why you even try." Then in a carefully neutral voice she asked, "Where is your brother?"

"Al's in Rizenbool," Ed replied. "Winry and Auntie Pinako needed help."

A measure of tension went out of Izumi's frame at Ed's reply. She caught Ed by his arm and pulled him to his feet. "Then we'll just go collect him and I'll deal with the both of you at once."

"You're taking me to Rizenbool?" Ed asked.

For a moment Izumi saw a look of bone deep terror in his eyes then it was gone.

Ed yanked his arm free. "I'm not going," he declared. "Roy'll think the Military got me, then he'll get himself in trouble. Besides, they'd expect me in Rizenbool, I really would get caught. And we've got important stuff to do. I'm not going and you can't make me!"

"Edward, what is-" Izumi began.

"I said I'm not going!" Ed shouted, he clapped his hands and leapt backwards as he raised an earthen wall between himself and Izumi.

"Edward!" Izumi shouted angrily and shattered the wall just in time to see Ed's braid disappearing around the corner.

Izumi gave chase again but this time Ed used his Alchemy with reckless abandon to throw up barriers between them.

Edward's antics didn't go unnoticed by the Military detachment stationed in the town. Ed looked over his shoulder to check on Izumi's progress and ran right smack into a bulky Lt. Colonel. The man grabbed Ed's shoulder and put his gun to Ed's temple. "If you do anything more than breath I'll shoot," the Lt. Colonel threatened.

Ed froze.

"Corporal Dice, get over here," the Lt. Colonel called. One of his subordinates ran over to them. "Remove the arm."

"Yes sir," Dice replied as he ripped Ed's shirt so that he could detach the blond's automail arm. Once the arm was off the Lt. Colonel relaxed and lowered his gun.

Ed spun on his heel and kicked the Lt. Colonel in the stomach. Then he snatched his arm back from the startled Corporal and made a break for it.

A bullet kicked up the dust just in front of Ed's feet. "Freeze!" a voice shouted.

Ed looked around the square and saw four other soldiers all aiming at him. He hesitated and the Lt. Colonel brought the butt of his pistol down on the back of Ed's skull.

Izumi watched the soldiers restrain her unconscious student with murder in her eyes. She was about to intervene when a small, pale boy with wide, purple eyes caught her attention. The boy crept closer to the soldiers and their captive with an expression of boundless curiosity. A look of indecision crossed Izumi's face. Then she worked her way around the edge of the square.

"Shon!" she hissed and sharply gestured the boy to her side.

Shon sent one last, fascinated glance toward Edward then sighed and obediently went to Izumi.

"You were to stay in the yard," Izumi reminded the boy.

"I'm bored!" he declared. "Play with me!"

"Shon, I want you to go straight back to the house."

"I don't want to!"

"Now!" Izumi snapped.

The boy gave her a sulky, resentful glare and Izumi knew he wouldn't obey, she knew what sort of trouble he could cause as well. She looked back at the soldiers, they were wrapping Edward in some sort of modified straightjacket; it seemed likely that their intension was her student's capture and not immediate harm. Izumi caught Shon's arm and began marching the recalient child home while silently promising Edward that she would be back for him.

**Author's Notes:** If there's any doubt, Shon is Wrath. Al died shortly after Lab 5, before Izumi comes into the story (actually I started writing this story before seeing any of the episodes with Izumi in them), thus Ed and Al never went to Dublith with her, the miliary never followed them there and the other homunculi never discovered Wrath. He's been with Izumi for several years at this point and is still in his 'untainted child' persona (although, and I'm thinking about the scene where he was 'playing' with the mouse, he's a bit of a sociopath). Izumi eventually named him (and I couldn't have her naming him Wrath).


	28. Cornered

**When Cornered**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

Ed regained consciousness shortly before the soldiers reached the town square and started struggling but without the use of his arms there wasn't much he could do. The soldiers who'd been put in charge of Ed flung him into the center of square. Unable to catch himself, Ed stumbled and fell. He ended up sprawled face down in the dirt. The Lt. Colonel put a heavy foot on Ed's back to prevent him from rising. One of his men handed him a megaphone.

"Mustang! We have your co-conspirator!" The Lt. Colonel boomed. "If you fail to surrender yourself in ten minutes I will summarily execute him for the attempted assassination of Fuhrer Bradley… And don't get any cute ideas about rescuing him." The Lt. Colonel pulled the pin out of a grenade and held it up for all to see; any attack on the Lt. Colonel would result in Edward's death. The crowd rapidly began dispersing.

"I'm here; put that fucking thing up before it slips," Roy declared as he worked his way through the retreating crowd. His hair and clothes were disheveled from pushing through the crowd but his expression was cool and composed.

"Your gloves," the Lt. Colonel ordered.

Disdainfully Roy tossed the pristine white gloves on the ground between them.

"Search him for any other Alchemic paraphernalia," the Lt. Colonel ordered.

When the soldiers advanced on Mustang Edward began cursing furiously and struggling to free himself.

"Edward! Enough!" Roy ordered sharply.

Ed's golden eyes reflected guilt and remorse as he stilled.

Roy's face was impassive as the soldiers stripped him to guard against the possibility of arrays being sewn into his clothing. Once he was dressed again in prison garb with his hands bound in front of him where they could be seen Roy smirked at his capture. "All this fuss just for me?"

"What did you expect? The military has no higher priority than presenting the Fuhrer with your treasonous head."

"I'm honored." Roy replied.

A troop transport arrived a short while later. Ed and Roy were loaded in the back with several guards; Roy's gloves and Ed's automail were tossed in the corner furthest from the prisoners.

As the truck rumbled out of the town Roy's proud posture vanished. He slumped, cradling his head in his bound hands. One of the guards laughed triumphantly at his defeat.

"I'm sorry," Ed whispered, his voice caught in his throat. Then he felt it; the air around Roy was alive with alchemic energy. Several minutes passed with no obvious changes, much to Ed's confusion.

Without warning one of the guards toppled over. His compatriots slumped together, their eyes were glazed.

"What the?" Ed exclaimed.

"Stay put," Roy said. "Most of the air in here is bad." He took several deep breaths then stood up and hurried across the truck to retrieve his and Ed's possessions.

"Turn around," Roy said then unfastened the straight jacket. "The men up front are still conscious; try not to scream," he said as he awkwardly tried to line up Ed's automail with its port while steadying the younger Alchemist with his hands bound.

Ed nodded then bit his lip and closed his eyes. Ed's body jerked involuntarily and blood welled up around his teeth as Roy reattached his arm. After it was over Ed slumped against Roy for a moment. Ed kept his face averted while he blinked back tears.

Roy sighed regretfully and tried to rub Ed's back.

"I'm okay," Ed insisted quietly. He clapped his hands then touched the binders on Roy's wrists and they disintegrated.

The pair waited until the truck carrying them began to turn a corner then leapt out the back. They watched the truck drive on without them.

"How'd you do that?" Ed asked.

Roy grinned. "How do I typically use alchemy?" he asked.

"Create a spark; manipulate the oxygen content in the air…" Ed trailed off. "You said the air was bad. Hell! You manipulated the oxygen content around them to make them pass out."

"Almost," Roy replied. "We were in a truck; carbon dioxide poisoning is a more efficient means of killing than oxygen depravation."

"But they took all your stuff; where was your array?" Ed demanded.

Roy grimaced in distaste. "About six months after the Ishbalan War ended I got drunk, fell down a flight of stairs and cracked my skull open. The doctors shaved my hair off so they could put in stitches. I knew another alchemist during the war; a real psychotic bastard; he had his arrays tattooed on. As much as I don't want to be anything like that homicidal lunatic; it was a good idea. I had Hughes do it. You're the third person who knows about what we did and that's counting myself and Maes."

"Why all the secrecy? Why don't you ever use your alchemy that way?" Ed asked.

"Think Ed," Roy exclaimed. "What is it good for? Explosions are loud and showy; in addition to being a good weapon they're impressive. What I did back there was a last resort. I never, NEVER, wanted the Military to realize I could be more useful as an assassin than as a soldier."

"If they'd know you could do that they would have ordered you to do it," Ed said quietly.

Roy nodded. "Or Gran would have had me killed on the spot. He wouldn't have liked the idea that I; theoretically; had the ability to kill him in an entirely untraceable way every single time we were in the same room. And the only weapon I needed was the air around him.

Ed shivered. "You can really do that?"

"Theoretically yes, practically no." Roy shrugged. "When I had Maes tattoo the array on me I thought it was simply a matter of a little more practice. The idea was sound in theory but in practice keeping oxygen from diffusing into an area large enough for an unbound person to suffocate in for a period of several minutes would almost certainly require more than enough energy to kill me as well as my target. But channeling carbon dioxide into a closed space and letting nature take its course; that was easy. The only challenge was keeping enough breathable air for you and I."


	29. It Becomes Clear

**When it Becomes Clear**

**Disclaimer: **Characters and settings are the property of Hiromu Arakawa. I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit angst.

* * *

Izumi stared down at the stone marker, seeing the writing on it was like having her guts torn out all over again.

When she learned of Ed's escape from the military Izumi decided that it would be for the best if she didn't pursuit him right away; she didn't want to lead anyone _else_ to him and she didn't want to instigate another scene like the one that got Ed caught in the first place. So Izumi decided that she would pick up the reasonable Eldric brother first.

Edward had told her that his brother was in Resembool. So Izumi had gone there, to the Rockbell's and demanded to be told where Alphonse Eldric was. Pinako Rockbell had glared at her angrily then gave her directions to this place.

Pinako hadn't mentioned that she was sending Izumi to a cemetery. She hadn't said anything about Alphonse being dead.

Edward had told her his brother was in Resembool. There hadn't been any grief in his eyes; no pain, no anger. He'd said it simply; as if there was nothing wrong.

Izumi turned away from the stone and walked slowly back to the Rockbell's as if the weight of the world had fallen on her shoulders.

She knocked on the door.

"You're back," Pinako said distastefully.

"Edward is insane isn't he?" Izumi asked softly.

As Pinako glanced away a look of pain crossed her face. "You spoke with him I take it?" she said. "Yes, he's lost his mind; but that Mustang person stopped him from shattering completely."

"How did Alphonse die? Was it-" Izumi's voice broke. "Was it when they attempted human transmutation?"

"No," Pinako said shortly. "They both survived that; but neither was left whole. They turned to the military; the resources available to a State Alchemist; to try to get their bodies back. That's how Alphonse Eldric died."

"I never should have taught them," Izumi muttered.

Pinako snorted. "I wanted to blame that bastard who got them involved with the Military in the first place. But Mustang's taken good care of Ed these last few years; it's not as easy to hate him as it used to be. If you hadn't taught them they would have found someone else. Those boys were always determined; it was always their best quality... and their worst."

A faint, wry smile twisted Izumi's mouth as she nodded her agreement. "So, you approve of this Mustang?"

Pinako rolled her eyes. "Never, but he cares about Ed." She gave Izumi a piercing look. "Several months back Ed went missing then Mustang tried to assassinate Fuhrer Bradley. Now Mustang's a fugitive but he got Ed back. I'm starting to think the military confused a wolf with dog when they put a collar on that one."

"So he's the one who's been stirring up trouble?" Izumi asked. "I've heard rumors that Alchemists are coming out of retirement - or hiding, and heading east. A few have even tried recruiting me. They think that because I refused to whore myself out to the military that I'll climb in bed with the first person who comes along to oppose it."

"Mustang's got support among the Alchemists?" Pinako asked. "I didn't think he could possibly have done that many favors."

"They think he'll restore our reputation to what it was before Ishbal," Izumi said with a shrug. "Or that they'll find redemption for the things they did during the war by following him. What happened in Ishbal left a whole generation of Alchemists scared. Even those of us who didn't fight felt the backlash."

"Not just Alchemists," Pinako said. "And not just one generation."

"Not just," Izumi agreed.


End file.
